My Fairytale Ending
by IamKrystalSoul
Summary: Kagome is finally reunited with Inuyasha & the gang, but Sesshōmaru & Inuyasha are being targeted by a deadly foe who will stop at nothing to have his revenge. Can the brothers overcome their differences & work together to defeat this new enemy & protect the ones they love before it's too late? Post Cannon InuxKag MirxSan SessxRin Rated M for citrus language & dark themes plz R&R!
1. Chapter 1

Inuyasha's feet felt heavy as he walked through the familiar forest. It was late spring now, but none of the flowers he could smell were even close to the enchanting beauty of the unique scent that had long since faded from this forest. Faded from his clothes, the village and even the old pack that had been left behind when Kagome had been returned to her own time.

He stepped out of the trees and came to a stop as the wind danced over the clearing teasing the grass and ruffling his hair. The rustling of the leaves above sounded like laughter as he hesitated before continuing forward.

The Well he now stood before had held her scent the longest, but in time it had faded from here too. In the beginning he had felt a surge of excitement whenever he drew near and caught that lingering scent and his heart would stutter the closer he got to it. He would rush to the well only to find it empty and throw himself in to it only to land on the bottom unable to pass through. Every day he repeated this ritual even as her scent gradually faded and the well remained closed.

He just couldn't let himself stop hoping that one day the well let him cross over or the scent would be fresh, and Kagome would be home. He would never give up on her, and he would never stop trying to get to her. So now he knelt before the Well silently begging whatever magic had allowed him to pass through before, to let him pass through again.

' _Please, just one more time, let me pass through just **once** more. Even if I can't bring her back to this time, don't make me stay here without her. Please. Don't make me stay here alone.' _He prayed, to the Well, to the Fates, to any kami who would listen. ' _Just let me through_ ' with that he leapt into the Well, only to land in the small crater he had dug the first time the well had not let him through.

"Damn it." He choked, collapsing at the bottom of the well he leaned his head back against the wall and stared up at the sky.

' _How much longer will i have to wait?_ ' he wondered.

It had been more than three years now and everyone else had moved on with their lives.  
Sango had three children now, Kaede looked after Rin, Kohaku was off making a name for himself as a demon slayer, and Shippou was gone most of the time training with the other young fox demons.

He was tired of being alone.

A few days later Inuyasha sat stiffly in growing frustration while Hayami and Katsumi clambered around on him pulling his hair and ears with innocent delight, an incessant chant of 'Doggy, doggy!' ringing in his ears until he was sure he'd hear it in his sleep as well.

He had already been to the well today and he didn't have a good excuse to say no when Miroku had invited him to join them, now he understood Miroku had just wanted him as a distraction for the girls so _he_ could finally do some chores.

"You're like their toy!" Shippou snickered gleefully, adding insult to injury.

He glared at the kit entirely unamused.

A sudden loss of balance had one of the girls catching herself with a hard grip on his thoroughly abused ear, nearly taking it off this time and that was it for his patience.

"Hey, do something about these twins!" He whined.

"Don't tug on his ears." Reprimanded Miroku in a distracted tone, while he continued hanging the wash.

The twins of course continued as if he hadn't spoken, and he did not repeat himself.

 _'Yeah_ , _REAL_ _helpful_ _Miroku_ -'

"Ouch-!" He cried out in actual pain, he was probably going to lose an ear or an eye before this was over.

Sango, preoccupied with consoling Zen, the newest member of their family, at least took a second to offer him a sympathetic look. She knew how hard it was for him to let the rambunctious kids play with him so roughly.

"Sorry Inuyasha." She said in exasperation, right as a soft breeze brought a faint scent that immediately lit up his entire body.

Shock and disbelief had him tensing up for a second his eyes loosing focus as he concentrated on 'seeing' with his far more reliable sense of smell.

' _This_ _scent_...! _There's_ _no_ _mistaking_ _it!_ '

He leapt to his feet in an instant ripping the twins off of him.

"Go slay the fox." He suggested, dropping them on the unsuspecting kit and taking off without another word.

He'd never run so fast in his life, tearing through the forest with truly inhuman speed.

Everything was a blur to his eyes, but it was his sense of smell that guided him, and within seconds he was lurching to a stop to avoid colliding with the well and falling in head first in his haste.

His throat was so tight he couldn't breathe, and his heart was thundering in his ears so loud it drowned out everything else including all rational thought.

Taking a deep breath, as much to confirm her scent was really here, as steady himself, he looked down into the darkness and nearly passed out.

Kagome was looking up at him with a tender smile, and she eagerly extended her hand for him to pull her up without a moments hesitation.

In wonder, Inuyasha reached for her still not sure this wasn't another cruel dream.

He lifted her up and out effortlessly with one hand and held her in front of him hungrily taking in every detail of her face.

He had dreamed of seeing her for so long, come here so many times hoping for this very outcome that now that it was actually happening he couldn't believe it was real.

In this moment he was utterly powerless to move a single muscle as he stared at a face he hadn't seen in over three years. The changes he saw in her were slight, but still managed to alter her appearance completely.

She was taller and her face was more angular almost sharp, but it was softened by her warm smiling eyes, and the luscious waves that framed her face and cascaded over her shoulders to curl at the small of her back. Her curves were more prominent and exquisitely enhanced by the pink v neck shirt and tiny blue skirt she wore. Her eyes were warm and so full of emotion he could drown in them and her full pink lips looked so soft they were driving him to distraction!

She was absolutely breathtaking! Her scent swirled in the air around them so strong he could practically see it, and it was nearly driving him insane. She looked different, and even felt a little different, but her scent was the same, it was _her._

 _Kagome_

 _'Shit!'_ His body was raging to take her and she hadn't even _spoken_ yet! ' _Would she "sit" me if I kissed her so soon after it's been so long_?' he couldn't help wondering.

She had kissed him back, when they were trapped inside the jewel, and surely her return was answer enough as to whether or not she wanted to be with him, but they had never had a chance to express just how far their feelings went, and he had spent the last three years imagining how he would tell her and what she would say.

He must've been quiet for too long because a delightful blush colored her cheeks and she spoke first.

"Inuyasha," she breathed. "Sorry, were you waiting for me?"

The sweet music of her voice hit him like a rock and helped him regain some semblance of control over his body.

Could she really be here? Was it possible that this wasn't just another dream!

Overcome with emotion, he barely had time to throw his arms around her and bury his face in her hair to hide his complete loss of composure. If he looked at her for a minute longer he might do something stupid like kiss her or start crying.

Dragging her scent into his lungs with a ragged breath he gave himself up to the fierce joy and crushed her tighter to his chest, saying the only thing he could that wouldn't reveal him as the pathetic sap he was.

"Kagome-You idiot, what have you been doing all this time?" He asked softly.

The words carried no heat and were barely more than a whisper.

She would know what he really meant.

 _'I missed you so fucking much, I waited for you everyday, I never gave up, I knew you'd come back, I'm so damn glad you came back, Kami please, please don't ever leave me again…'_ He couldn't say something like that out loud though, not yet.

His grip tightened pulling her closer still, needing to feel her warmth to believe she was truly here, and drown in her intoxicating scent.

His mind was reeling with all the things he wanted to say, most of it pathetic and desperate, nothing coming close to describing how he felt. Rather than embarrass himself and potentially scare her off he just held her as he shook uncontrollably.

' _Kami her scent, I can't believe how much I've missed just being able to smell her.'_

She smelled of wild flowers and spring rain; jasmine, honeysuckle, lilies, lilac, lavender her natural scent was like every lovely scented wildflower and yet not like any of them, but it calmed him like nothing else had been able to for the past three years.

He looked at her again trying to convince himself once again that this wasn't a dream.

' _Kagome-'_ Hell he didn't care if it was a dream, he crushed her tighter to his chest and prayed he didn't wake up.

* * *

 _'Inuyasha_ -'

Kagome returned the embrace with everything she had.

She thought being apart had been hard on _her_ but the relief that the longing had not been one sided was palpable.

Hot tears stung her eyes but she blinked rapidly and held them back with force of will. She took a shuddering breath and clung to Inuyasha, feeling the emotions coming off him as clearly as she felt the strength of the arms that crushed her to a trembling chest.

Maybe, just maybe, this reunion would be everything she had dreamed it would be!

Said reunion was in fact, short lived though, because a few seconds later they were no longer alone.

She heard Sango's gasp of disbelief before she called out to her in delight. Kagome drank in the sight of her noting she looked softer but by no means weak, and was carrying a small bundle on her back that looked like a very young infant! That made her look at Miroku only to find that he was holding the tiny hands of two toddlers that were identical copies of one another.

' _Twins! Oh my goodness and two little girls at that, serves him right! I hope they give him hell! I wonder if the newborn is a boy or another girl'_ she giggled to herself.  
She was distracted by the keening cry of the tiny fox she had missed almost as much as Inuyasha, and bare had time to catch him as he darted across the clearing into her waiting arms.

' _My baby.'_ She thought, cradling him gently to her chest and murmuring softly to him as she rocked him in her arms. ' _Home, I'm finally home!'_

Inuyasha bit back a snarl of frustration when he caught the scent of the others approaching, was a few minutes alone with Kagome to much to ask? Shippou must've caught Kagome's scent as well and told the others that he had taken off like that because Kagome had returned. Shippou he could forgive, but Sango and Miroku should have known better, and clearly they did.

Moments later Miroku and Sango were standing a respectful distance away eith their brood as if they could sense Inuyasha's demon getting territorial. Sango and Miroku called out a greeting that gave Kagome just enough warning to turn and catch the wailing kitsune that had launched himself at her.

When he saw Kagome bury her face in the kits hair Inuyasha was once again reminded that he was not the only one who loved and needed Kagome and he focused intently on tamping down the overwhelming desire to throw Kagome over his shoulder and find a private place in the woods to mark her as his.

His demon was having none of it.

'MINE!' It screamed, just being _near_ her scent was driving him mad, he tried to calm himself but every lungful of her scent drove him closer and closer ti the edge.

While Kagome comforted Shippou and Sango introduced her to her children, Inuyasha was having an all out, no holds barred, battle of wills with the demon clawing to get out and take what was his.

He was trying to steady himself by drinking in the sight of her standing here, back where she belonged, but the incandescent joy on Kagome's face as she held baby Zen had his mind replacing the little one in her arms, with a silver haired bundle with tiny white ears.

' _Fates_! _Just_ _because she's come back doesn't mean You can assume she's got any intention of having Your children! Maybe she's just happy for her friend You asshole!'_

He looked away but the image was burned into his mind and his blood surged his demon responding eagerly to the image with a resounding,

 _ **'MINE**_!'

 _'Fuck_!'

The urge to take her far away and claim her as his Mate was starting to win over his valiant attempts to maintain control.

He didn't know if he could play nice and let the others have Kagome's attention right now, even if this was just a dream he didn't want to waste a second.

He had almost won the battle with his instincts, a thin _inch_ from closing the door on his inner demon, when Kagome chose that moment to pass the baby back to Sango so she could give Miroku a proper hug.

Inuyasha lost it completely.

 _ **'MINE**_!'

His demon snarled again, and Inuyasha could resist no longer.

Without a word, as soon as she stepped away from the monk- knowing it would probably get his ass sat, he swept Kagome off her feet and took off into the forest throwing a warning growl over his shoulder that vibrated with the promise of violence if anyone followed.

* * *

Shippou recognized the warning for what it was; an Alpha's direct command.

' _Stay back!'_ He'd growled.

It was an undeniable demand for unconditional obedience that called directly to his own demon blood, even if he weren't the leader of his pack Shippou would have been compelled to obey.

With a nod his Alpha didn't see Shippou committed to keeping the rest of the pack away from the Alpha without fail, it was part of his duty to protect the pack.

But everyone else seemed to get the idea without further explanation and no one made any attempt to chase after the crazed hanyou.

Miroku took his daughters tiny hands and followed Sango back to their hut to put the children to bed and prepare the village to celebrate Kagome's return.

* * *

Kagome turned deeper into Inuyasha's embrace, they had been running for a while, and she guessed Inuyasha must have a specific destination in mind.

With no small amount of guilt, Kagome found that she was truly relieved to be alone with Inuyasha again.

There were things that needed to be discussed with him before she was ready to socialize. She couldn't believe she was finally back in Inuyasha's arms, possessive behavior aside, it was just like it had been before she left.

' _Three years, it feels like so long and yet it's like nothing has changed at all.'_ She mused _._

She couldn't think of anything to say so she rested her head against his chest closing her eyes and letting the love of her life take her away.

* * *

Inuyasha wracked his brain for a way to explain his irrational behavior while he ran, but the fact that Kagome wasn't struggling or protesting or demanding he 'Sit!', was extremely reassuring.

His destination was a secluded cave that he had once resided in, back when he was first thinking about seeking out the guardian of the sacred jewel.

It was where he had spent most of his time lately, just trying to escape to a place that wasn't tainted with memories of his lost love.

He felt Kagome nuzzle closer and his demon purred with delight.

As far as his demon was concerned she was already his Mate.

He realized now that his demon had considered her his Mate since Sesshōmaru pointed out the strangeness of his treatment of her during their first battle for Tetsusaiga.

His unconscious acceptance of this, and his desperation to keep her safe, were the reason the sword had chosen to fight for him.

It had been his demon blood rising in defense of its Mate that had awakened the power of the ancient blade.

' _Fates_ _so much has happened since then, so much time wasted trying to protect myself from the one person who could save me from myself –'_

He ceased that trail of thought, they were here at last, and if this was a dream he didn't want to waste time dwelling on the past.

He made the twenty foot leap effortlessly even while holding Kagome, and he put her down gently once they were safely inside the cave.

It wasn't very large but it was by no means small, the ceiling high enough to allow for a good size fire to burn throughout the night where the light couldn't be seen from outside the cave, without filling the interior with smoke, or letting out too much heat.

This had been his home longer than Kaede's village, not counting the time he spent pinned to the sacred tree.

It felt right to bring Kagome here, the perfect place to bare his soul.

* * *

Kagome looked around in awe, the walls of the cave were unnaturally smooth and the cavern was deceptively large.

They had gone in far enough that the ambient light from the entrance was no longer sufficient to guide her any further.

Looking around, it seemed that was just as well, because this was clearly where they were going to stop.

There was a well maintained fire pit and nearby pile of furs that marked this as the place he slept.

Inuyasha busied himself with starting a fire so Kagome boldly made herself comfortable in the bed of furs

 _'Holy cow that's soft!'_ She squealed to herself.

Trying to refrain from throwing herself back and making a 'snow angel' in the furs, she compromised by slipping off her flats and burying her feet in the softness.

She couldn't help the delighted moan the sensations evoked, or the embarrassed laugh when she saw Inuyasha's ears twitch almost violently in response.

Maybe things could progress further tonight than she had ever dared to dream.

* * *

Inuyasha was _trying_ to do this right. Trying not to jump her right now and figure everything out after he had already secured her as his mate.

He _wanted_ to talk, but that _moan_.

Kami it nearly did him in, his demon screaming to answer the call and be the one to cause her to make such _enticing_ sounds.

He was able to lock down the muscles that wanted to respond by pouncing on her, but he couldn't stop his ears or the blush, when her giggle told him the uncontrollable reaction had not gone unnoticed.

 _'Fuck. How am I gonna get through this without losing my damn mind?'_

Finished with the fire he padded over to where Kagome was, pulled her into his lap, and had to ask even though he knew.

"What's so funny Wench?"

"I couldn't help it, it looked like your ears had a mind of their own, it was cute!"

He blushed a growled darkly, "There was _nothing_ cute about what I wanted to do when I heard that sound." He confessed.

Her face heated as well, but not from embarrassment.

The unmistakable scent of her arousal would have knocked him on his ass if he hadn't already been sitting.

There was so much more he wanted to say, things he was supposed to discuss, but with her scent calling to him like that, he was helpless to stop himself.

He cupped her cheek gently in his hand.

Her eyes closed and her lips parted as if she were having difficulty breathing and he could hear her heart race like a cornered rabbits'.

 _'Fuck it,'_ if this was just another dream then it wouldn't matter either way.

He leaned in and finally pressed his lips to hers with a desperation he could never voice aloud, and now he didn't have to, because she was kissing him back, taking control of the kiss, deepening it and moaning in appreciation despite his inexperience with the act.

 _ **'MINE**_.'

He didn't argue. Kagome's scent couldn't lie and it was Kagome that pushed him down onto the furs, slowly pulling open his robing and pushing it over his shoulders baring his chest to her.

She pulled back a bit so he could awkwardly free himself from the sleeves, and then he was completely at her mercy as she trailed hot kisses from his jaw to the center of his chest, his mind completely clouded by sensation lost to what she was doing to him.

When her tongue snuck out to tease one sensitive bud while she gently pinched the other, he cried out, his hips bucking violently nearly toppling her off of him and accidentally breaking the connection.

Taking advantage of the reprieve in her onslaught, he quickly ran his hands up her back under her shirt and struggled briefly with the garment that denied him full access.

With practiced ease she deftly removed the barriers to his exploration, and rewarded him with a delicious moan when he gently raked his claws down her back before smoothing his hands up her torso to cup the tantalizing swells of flesh he had never dared to touch and this time they both moaned.

He was hard as iron and the pulse thrumming through his body was more than just a frantic heartbeat.

He was transforming, but he wasn't losing control as Kagome writhed in pleasure on top of him from the surge of power, seeming lost in sensation and as overcome by her lust as he was.

She ground herself against him while he copied her earlier ministrations, eliciting delightful little whimpers from her as he explored her tight peak with his tongue. Her taste was exquisite and he was drowning in the pleasure her moans brought him.

Her eyes opened and were unfocused with need, but not in the least unsure, even though he could feel that his fangs were completely distended, meaning the rest of his face had to be transformed as well.

She smiled gently, touching his cheeks where he knew jagged stripes had appeared, and then she surprised the shit out of him by licking up the column of his throat before rolling off him, only to position herself on her knees with her chest flat to the ground her ass high in complete submission.

He didn't know how she knew what to do, but his demon didn't care.

She was offering herself, accepting him as her Mate, and he wasn't going to deny her or make her wait.

Ignoring how fast everything was going, and the fact that he hadn't explained any of this to her in case she didn't know what she had done, he responded to what she offered.

He freed himself from his Hakama and pushed the flimsy cloth covering her core to the side, sliding the tip of his erection against her tight opening driven completely by instinct, rather than experience.

He was not prepared for the blazing heat, the silky wetness, or the crushing tightness that enveloped him as he sheathed himself within her completely in a single thrust and she cried out at his powerful entry. He sucked in a breath through his teeth as felt the barrier of her virginity give with ease and her body held him in a grip so tight, it took everything he had to remain still so she could adjust to him.

"Oh _FUCK!_ ** _Kagome-_**!" He groaned.

Kagome just whimpered and arched into him bracing herself against the the floor.

His demon was screaming for him to pound into her over and over, until she was covered with his scent inside and out, but he couldn't bare to hurt her like this, and somehow found the strength to hold himself in place waiting for a sign she was ready for him.

Through the single minded haze of pleasure he heard a plaintive whimper, and he knew it wasn't from pain when she was the one that began to move, rocking back, forcing him even deeper and echoing his cry of ecstasy.

And with that, all reason left him and his body began to pump wildly into hers, the cave filling with the sounds of flesh slapping together and heavy breathing, punctuated by gasps and ragged curses as he began to mark her.

He was completely possessed by instinct. Entirely overcome by pleasure. Utterly blinded by passion, and at the mercy of his demon.

The cave began to fill with the combination of her spiritual powers and his youki. The buildup of power driving their pleasure into previously unimaginable heights.

After what seemed like an eternity of endless pleasure he felt himself getting close and Kagome was right there with him, contracting around him with a throaty cry and a rush of warm wetness that seared his flesh and threw him over the edge as well.

" **MINE**!" He roared as he came, dragging her upright so he could sink his fangs into her throat while he rode out his orgasm, Marking her as his.

As the Mating mark took hold, he felt the soul altering shift of their bond being forged. The power rose and rose, suffocating them, and riding on the waves of pleasure flowing over them.

On instinct he broke contact with Kagome's throat, piercing his wrist with his fangs and offering it to her wordlessly.

It surprised him when she took it without hesitation, causing them both to orgasm harder as the power they had released rushed back into them, sealing the bond.

The pleasure was like nothing he had ever experienced, and with great care, he pulled out and collapsed to the side.

Then, pulling Kagome tightly to his chest he held her close just breathing in her glorious scent, which now permanently carried the scent of his Marking for her, and couldn't help the slight twinge of guilt that she didn't know what she'd signed up for.

He prayed to whoever would listen as she fell asleep in his arms that when she woke up and he explained everything that had just happened, that she wouldn't hate him for what he had done. That is if this wasn't all just a vivid dream, the best dream he had ever had, bar none.

"I love You." He whispered just before sleep could claim him.

His last thought was the blissful purr of his satisfied demon.

" ** _Mine_ …**" it cooed.

Then everything went black.


	2. Chapter 2

Inuyasha came awake slowly. He tried to resist the return to reality by blocking out all sights, sounds and smells around him that would further pull him into consciousness.

He was entirely unwilling to release himself from the world of dreams and go back to trudging through life without Kagome.

He couldn't help feeling around, just in case, and finding himself alone, he tried not to let the disappointment overwhelm him.

 _'Figures'_ Dreaming about her return, and their subsequent reunion, was nothing new, and each time it felt more real than the last, this time was no different apparently.Knowing that, he wasn't sure how many more let downs he could take.

The fates were truly cruel and they must really hate him, or at least enjoy watching him get his hopes up, because these dreams had been plaguing him nightly since the day the well closed, each worse than the last. Or was it better?

The last day he had seen Kagome had also been the day of their first real kiss, and possibly their last. He didn't count the one Kagome had used to save him from Kaguya, she had done that out of self preservation.

While it said everything about the hold she had over _him_ , that it had worked, it had been an act of total desperation on her part.

She had saved him mind body and soul long before that, and she owned him just as completely whether she knew it or not.

Which is why he hadn't hesitated to rip open the portal to the underworld, and leap in to find a way to get to her, when Naraku's wish had trapped her within the jewel. His terror that she would make a wish to see him, and become trapped in the jewel forever, had turned his blood to ice.

If it had been him trapped in her place, he knew he would have wished to see her, not to be saved, just to be with her. He never would have been able to make the one correct wish. He was too scared of being alone, and it was all because of her that he wasn't alone anymore. The friendships she had helped him forge had been strong enough to survive her absence.

He wasn't. For him, losing her had been far too great a price, one he had yet to resign himself to paying.

He wondered if she had given up already, if she ever tried the well at all.

 _'Maybe the well didn't work because she doesn't want it to'_ He thought dejectedly.

As soon as he had the thought, he hated himself for thinking that way.

' _It's not like there was ever any indication that the well works like that'_ He chided himself.

In fact, he knew Kagome couldn't pass through the well without the jewel shards. He had used that to his advantage back when he first realized what it would do to him if she got hurt being with him, and tried to trap her on the other side, where she'd be safe.

Besides, if desire were the key to the well opening then he would have been able to pass through without a problem ages ago.

It was ironic that she was in fact safe in her own world while he was trapped on this side of the well, unable to reach her now that the greatest danger had passed. It only made sense that after wishing the jewel away that the well would no longer work for her at all.

There was no way for her to come back, and it was pointless to sit around and wait for her to come to him, now that her means of getting here was gone forever.

He grit his teeth. That's what was driving him crazy. Why?

Why wasn't the well working for him? He had never needed the jewel to pass back and forth between the ages, unless it was the shards existing in both places that kept the well open? Then in that case why couldn't Miroku and the others pass through as they pleased back before the well had closed?

Damn it, he really didn't have a clue how the damn thing worked!

Shippou had teased him once about going and checking every three days, to see if the well would let him through, and Kaede had praised him for his devotion, but he had just considered himself lucky the kit hadn't realized it was actually a daily ritual. They had no concept of how deep his devotion was. They had no fucking clue.

Their ignorance of how deeply it affected him didn't save him from all the pitying looks his friends would give him whenever they knew he was on his way to check.

No one knew he had spent the first week after Naraku's defeat curled up in a pitiful ball in the massive hole he had ended up digging in his desperation to get through.

 _'They just didn't think to look inside the well when they were searching for me, cuz that's how pathetic it was that I was trying to dig my way back'_ He shook his head refusing to relive all his sorrow and rage in those moments, not to mention, the crippling despair when it dawned on him that, try what he may, he just couldn't get through.

His thoughts turned to memories of what it felt like to kiss her when he found her in the jewel. When she returned the kiss she had been so sweet and he could taste her relief that he had come for her in her tears.

He had wanted to do so much more, had believed they would have time for it all later, couldn't wait to see if that kiss had been because she was grateful to be rescued from the darkness, or because she felt the same way he did.

He wanted to believe he was reading her right, but even if she cared for him, he wasn't sure that meant she was prepared to take him as her Mate like he hoped.

He couldn't wait to talk to her about it, and he had been hopeful for their future, only to have the chance, and all his dreams ripped away as soon as she was safe in her own time.

Now he wondered how that conversation might have gone, and how it would feel to make her his, which only served to remind him what he had been dreaming of last night.

His body flushed with heat remembering the dream and the things he had imagined Kagome doing to him, for him, with him, and it wasn't long before he was hard and throbbing thanks to the images swirling in his mind.

 _'Great, just fucking perfect,'_

Kami he was such a dirty dog, with absolutely NO fucking self control.

Even in a _dream_ he should know better than to Mark her like that without even telling her what it meant, what could happen, what she needed to be careful of.

The dream had felt so real he had almost been surprised to wake up and find himself alone, and even though he was fully awake now, he still didn't want to open his eyes and end the fantasy, but the fire had gone out, and despite the warmth of the furs underneath him, he was really cold.

He took a deep breath preparing to sit up, and his eyes flew open in shock.

 _'Her scent!'_

As vivid as all of his previous dreams had been, he had never woken to her scent still hanging in the air! It was like a rainstorm had blown through the cave and thousands of wildflowers dumped into his bed while he slept her intoxicating scent was so strong.

 _'It was fucking_ _ **REAL**_ _?! Kagome was_ _ **HERE**_ _?'_

"Kagome!?" He called ut, not caring how pathetic and desperate he sounded.

He waited but there was no response.

 _'Where is she?'_

He looked around frantically in an absolute panic. He felt sick to his soul. It had been real!

' _Oh shit-'_ The floor dropped out from under him as he realized her scent, now tinted with his own thanks to his Mark, trailed off to the entrance of the cave. She was gone.

He had Marked her, he had fucking marked her without telling her a thing, and she had gone out alone!

" _SHIT_ -Kagome!"

He leapt up, haphazardly threw his clothes on, grabbed Tetsusaiga, and tore out of the cave.

When he jumped from the twenty foot cliff, he was sightless as his dominant sense shifted to smell over sight, and then he truly lost it, because while Kagome wasn't very far away, she also wasn't alone.

His demon rushed to the surface and he didn't even try to fight it down, transforming as he ran, his youki shredding anything that got too close.

Kagome had woken up nestled tightly in the arms of her lover, and at first, she couldn't bring herself to move. She contented herself to just stare at him as he slept.

His male beauty was utterly enchanting, but that was nothing new.

To her, he had always been beautiful. Like something out of a dream.

He seemed truly relaxed in peaceful slumber for the first time since she'd seen him in his enchanted sleep, pinned to the sacred tree.

She didn't want to wake him up, but her stomach was growling and she really needed to pee.

She stretched and found that his arms were loose enough that she could slip out.

She slipped away and the more she moved, the more she realized she was sore in strange places, and the more she stretched to relieve the aches, the more she found herself thinking longingly of lazing in a hot spring to rid herself of the soreness, and daydream of last nights activities.

She blushed as she realized just how much she needed to clean up too.

Looking down at herself she saw there was blood and other things on her thighs, and she blanched when she realized even she could smell the sex on her.

Not sure why she was so embarrassed but unable to deny the compulsion to get clean, she grabbed her bra and shirt from one corner of the bedding and her shoes from the other.

She dressed quickly and was careful to be quiet as she left trying not to wake her sleepy hanyou.

Once she was outside she grumbled a bit seeing how high up she was, getting in and out of the cave would not be as easy for her since she couldn't just jump like he had.

She tried to be careful, crouching down and making her way down the sheer slope with tiny scooches, but she ended up having to slide most of the way down on her butt with her knees bent, to keep her legs from getting torn up by the rock shrapnel that had effectively scraped most of the skin off her ass.

Once she reached the bottom she relieved herself behind a convenient bush, wincing when she pulled her panties back up, several cuts and scrapes protesting their mistreatment.

She was not looking forward to how badly her bath was going to sting now, but she was even more determined to have one, and now that she was on flat ground she should be able to get her bearings and locate the hot springs. She looked around.

"Oh! I know where I am!" She crowed.

Even though it had been years since her travels with Inuyasha and the others, everything was achingly familiar.

This place was about three miles outside of Kaede's village and that meant the hot spring was only about a twenty minute walk from here.

She moved east through the forest keeping an eye out for any _sansai_ she could eat along the way.

She hadn't had dinner yet when she and her mother had stood over the well before she came back, and she had fallen asleep right after she and Inuyasha had been together. Which would have worked up quite the appetite all by itself.

Kami she had been so brazen, and looking back on it now, she had no idea what she would've done if Inuyasha hadn't wanted her like that when she rolled over and presented herself for him.

Yeah she had gotten him all hot and bothered first, he had clearly been into it and he'd _definitely_ been hard and all, but she had dived into everything like a whore, and when she realized he was as much a virgin as she was, all she wanted was to give herself to him, forget touching and exploring.

By that time she didn't want to wait.

 _'Not that he seemed to want to wait either'_ She mused blushed again, her steps faltering for a second.

 _'Kami. The sounds he had made.'_ Hell, the sounds he had made _her_ make, it was all just too incredible.

Then there was the power they had raised and the way they had sealed the act with blood.

 _'Gah! Did I really do that?'_

Not that she really knew what it all meant, except for that some connection had been formed and now she _knew_ he was hers, and that's all that really mattered to her.

 _'He tastes so good! I never thought I'd ever actually enjoy exchanging blood! What is wrong with me?'_

His blood had tasted like, well, blood yes, but unlike the bitter penny-like taste of her own blood, his had a wild spicy taste as well, it was intoxicating, magical and impossible to describe, making her feel drunk; giddy and energized if a little floaty, but most of all warm, like the time Jii-Chan had given her a tiny cup of warm 'sacred' sake, when her mother wasn't looking about a week ago.

After taking the blood Inuyasha had offered, the power had peaked, making her feel like she would tear apart from all the magic and energy inside her.

Then they'd both come together and she had experienced the most incredible pleasure she'd ever known in her life, followed by a sense of wholeness and completion, that had eased her into the best nights sleep she had ever had.

When she woke up, the energy from last night seemed to swirl inside her making her feel safe and warm and powerful.

She wished she could call Sango to meet her at the springs, she would love to giggle over the graphic details, and talk about how great everything had been, laughing and blushing and exchanging stories with her best friend. She couldn't wait.

Thinking of Sango in turn made her think of Sango's children and how she had felt holding baby Zen. She hadn't missed Inuyasha's reaction to her holding the baby, but she really had no idea what to make of it.

He had been staring for a while, a look she couldn't really read on his face, and then he'd suddenly seemed angry and he'd turned away.

She wasn't in any rush to have children and she understood the implications of having them with Inuyasha, but after all he suffered, maybe he didn't want kids of his own.

 _'Gah! Why am I getting all up in my head about this, we have plenty of time to think about that later'_

She noticed a huge vine of sarunashi and eagerly harvested as much of the sweet fruit as she could, using her shirt to make a pocket to carry them, eating them whole as she walked.

A few minutes later and she was at the hot springs. Setting aside the last four pieces of fruit, she stripped and slipped into the water as fast as she could, not wanting to prolong the stinging of the cuts on her backside.

It wasn't as bad as she thought it would be only a few here and there were deep enough to sting.

After a while none of them hurt at all and she was able to relax her muscles and sink all the way into the water with a throaty sigh.

 _'Even baths in my own time were never as relaxing as this.'_ She thought with a throaty sigh.

She cleaned up quickly the best she could without actual soap and then leaned back against a large boulder to relax, her thoughts drifting back to Inuyasha. She grabbed another sarunashi, and munched happily while she daydreamed of the night before. Everything had been so wonderful, better than she had dared to dream it would be.

She hoped that he wouldn't wake up before she got back, but knowing him, if he did, he'd just come find her.

She heard a loud rustling sound in the foliage to her left and realized with dread that she was alone, unarmed and no one knew she was here, and now she was no longer alone, a massive bear demon appeared before her with a savage smile.

"My aren't we far from home, little mate?" He sneered.

She glared at him but didn't respond. Right now it was probably better to keep him distracted rather than piss him off by screaming. Inuyasha would come looking for her soon, but she could handle this pathetic peeper herself.

"You're pretty brave for someone who doesn't know who's territory he's in." She paused looking him up and down then cocked her head to the side, "Or could it be you're just stupid?"

She stood up in the water, not sure where her confidence was coming from, but deciding to go with it.

He seemed completely taken aback at first, but he recovered quickly.

"My, what a foolish woman indeed, what does it matter who's territory I'm in? you clearly know nothing of the danger you've put yourself in, not to mention your Mate!"

He nodded to her left, and she looked, just in time to see a second demon holding some kind of reed up to his mouth, and a sharp pain in her neck made her realize too late that it was a blow dart that had struck her.

Even as she began to pass out she looked to the first demon as her vision began to fail.

"You won't get away with this." She promised.

But it was nothing more than a weak whisper, and it was drowned out by the bear's full bellied laughter.

 _'Inuyasha_!' She cried out with her mind silently, as she fell into the water, and sank into unconsciousness.

Kuma watched Kabu wade into the water to retrieve the unconscious human before she drowned.

His brother didn't want to kill her right away, it would be more fun to break her first, to take her and use her until she died from his attentions, but first to battle her Mate!

Most males abhorred the idea of taking another males Mate, the damage it caused the male she was bonded to too terrible a price to consider, but he was addicted to the flood of ecstasy that came with consuming the blood of a Mated female and almost as addicted to the fear and pain of the bonded males that came to save them.

He could sense her mate headed this way and he geared himself up for the battle ahead.

He was truly excited, a bonded male always put up a good fight when their mate's life was in danger, who knew he would find a bonded pair in this unexplored territory.

Kabu casually took a seat across from him, gathering the naked female in his lap, he pulled her head back by her hair and placed the jagged edge of his knife directly over the Mark on her throat, calmly waiting for the females mate to arrive.

Kuma grinned. He absolutely fucking LOVED this game!

Inuyasha had never been so terrified and livid in his life.

He was tearing through the forest even faster than he had when he first caught Kagome's scent the night before.

She hadn't gone far, he could sense her clearly through the bond, she had obviously gone to the hot springs, where she had then been cornered by at least two demons that he could smell.

 _'I'll fucking kill them if they touch her!'_ He vowed.

He could feel Kagome's surety that he was coming for her ringing through his body like a bell.

She knew she was in trouble, but she wasn't afraid, because she knew with complete certainty that he would save her, and he would!

 _'There's no way I'm letting anything happen to you Kagome!'_

He let his youki flow out around him filling the air with the violence and murderous intent in his heart, and that was before he felt her presence through the bond suddenly vanish.

Crippling fear choked him so badly his heart seized in his chest and he struggled to breath through the pain as he ran, and he realized this is what it felt like when even his demon was terrified.

He was at the hot spring in the next heartbeat, more than ready to tear the limbs off whoever had dared to touch her.

What he saw made his blood run cold, freezing his body as surely as if he had been turned to ice.

Kagome was naked and being held up by her hair, she was unconscious, and there was a wicked looking knife pressed to her throat directly against his Mark.

 _ **'NO**_!'

His demon's scream of rage and fear matched his own, but he didn't dare move, or make a sound out loud.

They had known he was coming, they'd waited for him, and this is how they'd meant for him to find them.

As if their point needed to be proven further, the demon holding Kagome pressed the blade tighter to her throat, breaking the skin, starting the cut that could end her life as well as his own.

Instantly he fell to knees with a moan, unable to take his eyes off Kagome and the trickle of blood that fell from the blades edge.

His demon was crazed with fear, he couldn't breath, couldn't move, and he didn't want to.

To his demon, their pain; his and the demon's, was acceptable in any amount required, blood was the price of victory and there was no amount of either they would not endure to win.

But Kagome's blood, Kagome's pain, in any amount was too high a price.

"Please, oh fuck- please don't hurt her, don't-you can't-"He could barely speak his throat was so tight with fear, "I'm begging you don't take her away again! I'll do anything, please!"

He realized he was no longer talking to the one holding Kagome but praying to whatever kami got it's fucking kicks by tormenting him like this.

He begged with everything he had in a totally uncharacteristic and useless act of desperation. He knew it was pointless, knew he had nothing to offer kami or youkai, and begging was just going to make it more enjoyable for them both, but it was all he could do when he saw that knife cutting into her, he couldn't watch Kagome die.

He couldn't bare to lose her again, he _wouldn't_ lose her again!

He carefully stayed on his knees, not that he could stand if he wanted to, and ripped Tetsusaiga off his hip, throwing it as far away from himself as he could, catching himself on one hand as he fell forward, reaching out with the other towards Kagome and the demon that held their lives in his hands.

"Please, just let her go"

Laughter erupted next to him but he didn't look away from Kagome and her captor.

"My, that was quite th' show boy! Don't you know it's no fun if ya don't fight? It's yer own fault ya know? If ya loved t'girl so much, ya shouldn'ta let 'er go off all alone, ya pathetic halfbreed! Perhaps she needs a _stronger_ demon to keep 'er safe and warm? Ya don't even have anything t' offer _this_ li'l minx _,_ what could ya possibly give us?"

After hearing the suggestion that he take his mate and keep her warm, Inuyasha lost whatever mercy might have been left in him, he finally broke contact with the guy holding Kagome to look at the bear next to him, and in a deadly whisper that vibrated with the bass of his demon he said,

 _ **"**_ **Your lives. If you let her go, I will let you leave my land unharmed, if you hurt her, I will make you suffer more that anyone has ever endured in this world or the next, this is your only chance before I destroy you both.** _ **Let. Her. Go."**_

With that he released his youki once more, letting it fill the clearing and thicken and rise around him like fog, rolling with seething hatred and pulsing with the promise of a slow and agonizing death if they didn't obey.

"Oh, we're making threats now huh? Yeh must not care about 'er very much after all. What makes ya think a halfbreed like y'urself stands a chance against us boy?" The one holding Kagome sneered, as the one with the sword stepped closer to Inuyasha preparing to fight.

" **Your** **funeral** " He breathed, and in a flash he lunged up and drove his fist into the bears chest ripping out his still beating heart

He didn't pause at all, just charged at the demon holding Kagome praying the distraction would work.

At the last second, he threw the heart in the opposite direction causing his opponent to instinctually follow the movement. Too late he realized his mistake, and he didn't have enough time to correct his attention and react.

Inuyasha had Kagome out of dangers hands and laid gently on the ground out of the way in one heartbeat, and his claws around the throat of the bastard who threatened Kagome in the next.

Remembering the sight of another males hands on his _naked_ Mate, worse, while he was threatening her life, wiped out all thoughts of anything but a painful death in this males future and the fear was drowned in a bottomless, blinding fury that raged inside him like a blazing inferno of hate and the need to kill, every instinct he had demanded the blood of the bastard who hurt her without fail.

" **You, I'll kill slow enough for the both of you."** He hissed, digging the nails of the hand on the bastards throat in deeply, making the hold as painful as possible, he flattened his other preparing to strike.

Whatever pleas he was about to make were cut off by a strangled scream as Inuyasha slowly inserted his claws into the soft flesh of his navel.

" **You had your chance to run. Now I have no reason to spare you. You came onto** _ **my**_ **Land-"** he inserted his hand further, " **You** _ **attacked**_ **my Mate,** _ **dared**_ **to touch her, DARED TO SPILL HER BLOOD IN FRONT OF ME!** " He roared, and slowly started ripping the hole he made wider while the other male struggled and screamed wordlessly.

He reveled in the agony he caused as much as his demon, tearing the bastard up slowly enjoying every moment of his pain, until the spirit was too broken to hold its connection with its physical form and he was finally dead.

He piled the carcasses on top of each other in the far edge of the clearing away from Kagome before retrieving the Tetsusaiga. He unsheathed the blade and it seemed to transform angrily as if it was as pissed as he was about Kagome getting hurt.

The black meido blade sparkled with an unholy light pulsing with its desire to cast their enemies into the underworld forever.

He was more than fucking happy to oblige.

" **MEIDO ZANGETSUHA!** " he roared.

A moment later the bodies were gone, the portal had closed, and Tetsusaiga reverted back from its transformation.

He sheathed Tetsusaiga with a shaking hand and rushed back to Kagome.

She still hadn't woken up and he had no idea what was wrong with her.

First things first, he needed to get her back to the cave.

He didn't see her clothes, and he didn't waste time looking, he tore off his fire rat, wrapped it around her, and cradled her in his trembling arms.

It didn't take long for them to reach the cave, and he immediately laid her gently on the bed of fur and got to work on a fire.

He felt completely drained, the whirlwind of emotions he'd been through since Kagome's return affecting him as strongly as a natural disaster.

He went back to the pile of furs and sat with his back to the wall pulling Kagome into his arms. He buried his face in her neck licking her mark repeatedly, as much to comfort himself as to try and rouse her.

He continued like that for what seemed like forever, pitiful whimpers begging her to wake up alternating with his Mating Call, neither evoking any kind of response.

His Call surprised him, no one ever knew what their Mating song sounded like until they Sang for their Mate.

His was a mournful tune of loneliness and loss friendship and love, tenderness and trust, possessiveness and jealously, everything she made him feel, everything that made him _hers._

The fire was nearly out again by the time she finally started to stir, he laid her back for a moment to toss a few more logs into the flames, and was by her side again before she could open her eyes.

When she did, he felt tears sting his eyes and as he let them fall he realized he had felt this way before, back when they were fighting the band of seven and Shippou and Myōga had saved everyone from the fire and poison that had almost killed them all.

Back then he had tried to hide his tears of utter relief and gratitude for Kagome's safety, but his feelings for her then weren't half as strong as they were now.

Now they were bonded, she was back with him after three years of separation, and she was safe, at least from this most recent terrifying ordeal, she and she alone could witness his tears and know that they were for her.

"Kagome-"he whimpered dragging her against his chest, with his face buried in her hair he choked, "I was so fucking scared!"

"I'm fine Inuyasha, shhhh, you saved me everything's alright, I'm right here, I'm safe, it ok I'm right here."

They stayed like that until his tears dried up and the fire died down once more. His Mate was safe, but she had been in danger because he hadn't told her what he had done.

How could he bring himself to tell her now? How did he even begin to explain?

Every time he thought he could tell her he imagined her storming off in a fury after 'sit'ing him to hell, never to return.

So he just continued to stroke her and reassure himself that she was really here, safe in his arms where she belonged.

After a while she sat up and he let her pull away to look at him.

Her eyes were soft and reassuring enough as it was, but then she reached up and started rubbing his ears and he melted, literally melted, his body went limp and an inhuman whine of pleasure percolated in his throat.

She giggled and started rubbing the other ear as well.

"Oh fuck Kagome you have no idea how good that feels." He moaned.

"I can make it feel even better. " she purred.

He wasn't sure how that was possible and the doubt must've shown in his face because she smiled at him wickedly.

She ceased her ministrations just long enough to straddle him drop the fire rat and lean in for a searing kiss so hot he thought he'd burst into flames, and that was when she started rubbing his ears again, this time scratching the base with her nails between rubs, it was a different kind of pleasure but she was right it was better. More intense.

His moan was swallowed by Kagome's kiss and he felt her lips tighten briefly as she smiled in satisfaction. She seemed to be enjoying this as much as he was.

She broke away to let him breath for a second and he tried to collect himself. Everything was fuzzy, pleasure and need twisting in his mind until they were indistinguishable from one another.

And that was before she took his hands and placed them on her breasts.

"Now let's try it like this." She whispered huskily.

Combining all the sensations together had him completely lost to her. She could have demanded anything of him and in that moment he knew he would have done it if it would mean they could stay like this forever.

He'd given up on trying to suppress the sounds she was eliciting from him he just wanted more of what she was doing to him.

He had never been so completely at someone else's mercy.

Then she switched it up again, slipping off what remained of his clothing returning for a quick kiss, and then sliding down his chest. He had no frame of reference for was she was about to do and he didn't even dare to breathe as she hovered over his twitching cock looking up at him with wide eyes and a shy smile.

"Kagome, what the fuck are you-?" He didn't get to finish asking her what she was doing, she had already taken him into her mouth and he was lost again.

She teased him for a while twirling her tongue around his tip and down the underside of his shaft, lapping up the moisture when it wept from her attentions, before taking him in all the way to base and up again then taking him deep swallowing around him letting him feel her throat convulse around him each time she went down, again and again until he was thrusting up into her mouth. He tried to stop himself, tried to pull away before he lost it.

"Kagome-"

He tried to stop her before it was too late, but then she cupped his tight sac massaging him gently into pleasure overload and she swallowed around him again and again as he came. She pulled back letting him go with a satisfied smile.

The cave was thick with the smell of her arousal and the result of his orgasm. His body pulsed and he realized he was just as eager as his demon to answer the sirens call of her scent. Her deliciously sinful little show had made him wonder if she could possibly taste as delicious as she smelled.

He knew he wanted to taste her but he didn't know if she would let him. She was so delicate and unlike her he had fangs. He blushed not entirely sure what to do or how to ask.

"If I- if I were to put my mouth on you, like that or something- I dunno, would it- could I make you feel that good too?"

She blushed and he looked away quickly trying to reassure her but not wanting her to see his disappointment if she refused.

"We don't have to I mean-"

" You really want to do that?" She squeaked.

"Hell yeah, I'm dyin' to know what you taste like but I just don't- I've never done anything like this before, I don't know how to make you feel good and I don't want to hurt you or do anything you don't want me to."

She smiled at him and gave him a sweet kiss, when she pulled back she whispered,

"You can do anything you want to me Inuyasha, anything, I'm you're mate."

Never had he needed to hear something so badly and never known until he heard it, before now.

Without a second thought he took her down on the bedding kissing her and letting his hands roam her body paying attention to what made her heart race, and what made her gasp.

Slowly making his way down her body with soft kisses he finally settled between her trembling thighs.

Her followed her scent to its source desperate for a taste. When he licked her, the taste was indescribable, her thighs immediately clamped down on his head but he couldn't stop, he had to get more of her!

He couldn't even think well enough to wonder if what he was doing felt good, he just needed more!

She reached down and began rubbing his ears and he moaned against her core causing a flood of that delicious honey to flow onto his tongue. He moaned again at the taste and tried to figure out how to make it happen again.

"Fuck Kagome you're so good I can't stop." He growled against her.

He was rewarded with another rush of her sweet nectar and he lapped it up greedily.

"Inuyasha!" She screamed thrashing against him and he repeated the motion of dipping his tongue inside her and then flicking it up to tease the tiny little ball of flesh that had begun to peek out at the top of her cleft.

Each time he did that, her body responded with more of her intoxicating juices, and each time he lapped them up and teased her body for more. He would never tire of this. Never.

But she apparently couldn't take anymore, at this point she was literally sobbing from the pleasure overload, her head tossing back and forth.

"Please-Please Inuyasha!" She begged.

" **Kagome I can't stop**!" He growled punctuating the words with languid strokes of his tongue, " **tell me, what I can do, to make it better for you, I just can't fucking stop-** " he was fully transformed, his voice ragged and guttural as much from the sex as it was from the change. He had truly lost control.

"More! at the top! I need more!" She wailed, arching her back and thrusting into what he was doing to her.

Her request gave him a wicked idea and he followed through with it sucking the tiny bud into his mouth, trapping the flesh around it with his lips to keep the little bud in place he flicked his tongue against it as hard and fast as he could while still sucking on her and she came apart screaming his name so loud his ears flattened and then he was suddenly drenched in an even sweeter fluid and by the time he was done cleaning up what hadn't soaked into the furs beneath them he was finally satiated, for now at least, he wondered if she would ever let him do this again.

"Kagome are you alright?" he asked when he felt relatively normal again.

Her thighs were twitching uncontrollably and she was making tiny pathetic sounds, kami what if he'd hurt her?

" I'm- fine- just- need- to catch- my breath!" She wheezed. "That was- incredible, Inuyasha!"

He grinned at her.

"I can't even begin to tell you what your taste does to me." He purred.

"Well, I'm glad" she sighed.

"Can we do that again sometime?" He asked tentatively.

"Oh yes absolutely " She said enthusiastically.

He beamed, positively beamed, and then his face got serious.

"We need to talk first Kagome"

She sat up nervously.

"What do we need to talk about? What's got you so serious all of a sudden?"

He reached out and brushed his fingers over his Mark, making her gasp and bite back a moan.

"About this, about last night and how you feel about me, to start with."

"You don't know how I feel about you?!"

"It's not that! It's just- look it was wrong and I shouldn't have done it but I couldn't stop myself and it was like you knew everything, without me having to say anything, but I need to say it, I need to hear it Kagome, I have to know that you understand even if it's too late." There was a long pause.

"You regret being with me?" She managed to choke out after a while.

"No! Not at all! Never Kagome! Even if you hate me I still won't regret anything! Not a fucking thing!"

She seemed comforted by that but also confused.

"Why would I hate you Inuyasha?" She asked carefully.

"Because what I did is permanent Kagome, and it changes everything, things you never would have imagined changing, things you didn't think could be changed."

"Like what? what'd you do exactly?"

"I Marked you, Kagome you're mine forever now, and everyone with a good nose will know it now and I didn't even ask before I did it, I didn't explain _anything_ and now you can't say no, it's too late." He said solemnly.

She laughed, he'd prepared himself for a lot of thing but laughter wasn't one of them.

"What's so funny about that Kagome?" He growled.

"I'm sorry! I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to laugh but that's just so- so _you_!" She giggled.

"What are you talking about?" He demanded pulling away from her a little to look at her as if she had lost her mind.

"Inuyasha you've always been dense about my feelings but even you can't be _that_ clueless! You _have_ to know I'm in love with you! You could've marked me anytime and I wouldn't have been any less ecstatic than I am now. It's all I ever wanted!" She said happily.

"Yeah but you'll age the same as I do" he argued.

"That's better than me growing old while you stay basically the same" she shot back.

"You'll probably need to feed from me regularly especially if you get pregnant " he pointed out bracing himself for her disgust.

"You mean like your blood? Please tell me you mean blood" she said excitedly.

"Yeah-I mean blood, wait- you're okay with that?" he was dumbfounded, was this really happening?

"I love the taste of your blood! I'd want to even if I didn't have to- is that weird?" She asked self consciously.

"No!" He choked "No! I just thought you'd be disgusted! To be honest I was surprised you completed the bond with me without even wondering why or being horrified that I wanted you to do that."

"I wanted to! I would have probably tried to bite your neck like you did to me if I hadn't been facing the wrong way."

He spluttered and she looked at him waiting for him to explain.

"You'd do that? You'd complete a _full_ bond with me?"

"Have we not already?" She asked obviously confused and not at all opposed to the idea.

"No it's sort of halfway there's no way to form a full bond without both mates consciously trying to do so, we are Mated and I'm thoroughly bound to you, but you're not completely bound to me and I never would have expected you to do that."

"What exactly is the difference? I don't understand."

"As it is if you die I will die too but if I die you'll survive because you aren't fully bonded to me."

"Inuyasha, loosing you would still kill me if that's the only difference then-"

"No it's not. With how strong my fathers blood is, how strong my blood is even as a half breed, sharing it with you with a full bond would change everything about you, you would essentially become a hanyou yourself and anyone who didn't know you were human before would never guess you were ever human" he clarified quoting as much as he remembered of what he had learned from Myōga over a century ago.

"Show me how." She said without hesitation.

He looked at her in complete shock.

"Are you hearing me?" He asked needing to be sure she understood what she was asking for.

"I heard everything you said, it's _you_ that isn't listening, show me how, right now!" She demanded again.

"No, wait- Kagome I'm serious, there would be no going back-" He tried again only for her to interrupt once more.

" _'I love you as a half demon Inuyasha I love you just the way you are'_ Do you remember me telling you that?" She asked pointedly.

"Yes, but-"

"There is no but here, unless that's where you need me to bite you?" She half teased.

"No, Kagome- I promise I'll tell you if that's what you really want, but you have to help me understand, how can you possibly be willing to become a hanyou like me?"

"To me marriage or mating isn't just about who belongs to who it's a partnership, two equals working together to keep each other safe happy and loved, right now, not only are we not even close to equal, you've always doubted whether I truly accepted you and loved you exactly the way you are, and how can I prove that I do, if I won't fully complete our bond because it means I'd be just like a hanyou, why wouldn't I do that if it meant being just like _You_?" She explained softly but firmly. There was no doubt no hesitation, no deceit. She truly wanted this.

Without another word Inuyasha dragged her into his arms pressing her face into the crook of his neck, he held her tighter trying not to fall apart as he spoke,

"If that's really how you feel then all you have to do is find a place that feels right to you, and bite as hard as you can." He brought a hand up behind her head holding her as she nuzzled him trying to find just the right spot.

"Do it Kagome! As hard as you can. _Bite_!"


	3. Chapter 3

Kagome bit him harder than he thought she could, breaking his skin easily and sucking tentatively. Pleasure coursed through him making him forget the stinging pain of her bite and nearly sending him over the edge.

" _Yes!_ Oh **_Fuck_** _-"_ He moaned and she echoed his enthusiasm with a muffled groan when his blood filled her mouth in an obliging rush.

The instant she swallowed, his youki exploded around them in a blast of electrifying heat that came off of him in waves.

Undiluted demonic energy crackled and seethed in the air around them, making it hard to breath. With every draw she took on his vein he drowned in deeper ecstasy.

" _Mmmn- yeahhh,_ just like that Kagome _. Fuck!_ " He groaned, tilting his head to give her better access.

He hadn't expected to be so aroused by this, but he shouldn't have been surprised either. He had never dreamed she would complete a full bond with him, never let himself even imagine what this might be like. It was more intimate than anything he had ever experienced.

Everything was so perfect, even if he had allowed himself to hope, never in his wildest dreams would he have been able to come close to imagining anything like this.

He heard her groan and he felt her nails digging into his flesh as she swallowed with greedy pulls, her tongue lapping at his ravaged skin between each draw as if she couldn't bare to let a drop escape.

The smell of her arousal mixing with the bonding scent that saturated the air was intoxicating. It smelled like a blend of their unique scents and the dark musky smell of the forest after it rains.

' _Beautiful_ '

He tightened his hold on her, leaning back with her so she could lay on his chest. The new position had her body pressing into his in all the right places and his hips undulated involuntarily.

"Mmmmnnnnng fuuuuck!" He cried out at the contact. It wasn't nearly enough, he needed to feel every inch of her. Needed to be inside her. Needed her to keep drinking from him, swallowing his power, his very essence.

Suddenly she shuffled around, and he felt her own power rising, he looked down to see her hand gripping the rosary resting on his chest and his eyes widened in shock.

The beads under her hand began to glow with a pink aura, as she channeled her energy into them.

He sensed the power holding the spell together dissolve, and in a blinding flash of light the beads of subjugation disintegrated and disappeared.

He was astonished. Completely overwhelmed by the connotations of what she had done.

"Kagome-" He choked.

He didn't know what to say and she was oblivious to him anyway, making happy little sucking noises and moaning with every swallow.

A while later, she sat up, holding herself upright with one hand on his chest.

"What do I do now?" She asked shyly.

"The sealing. You gotta willingly draw your own blood and offer it to me, then I take it and the bond'll be complete."

"So I have to bite myself?" Nervousness was clear in the tightness of her voice.

"Yeah." He was still caught off guard by her removing the beads.

"What if I can't bite myself hard enough?" She asked softly.

It was just like her to be worried about doing this right, he felt his chest tighten and excitement course through him.

' _Kagome really wants to do this right, she really does want to be fully bonded to me._ '

"It doesn't have to be deep, just enough to break the skin, but I can't just do it for you or the seal won't work, Myoga said it was something about the intention in the sacrifice? I don't really know why" he explained roughly.

Kagome nodded and her energy rose even further as she lifted her arm to score her own flesh.

Inuyasha was a panting mess as he watched her bring her wrist to her slightly bloody mouth.

' _Mine_ ' his demon purred in delight.

She bit down quickly with a wince.

It wasn't enough, face twisted in pain and concentration, she gradually increased the pressure, clearly fighting her body's instinct to let go and stop inflicting pain on itself.

As soon as she broke the skin she released her wrist with a pained gasp.

Then, with a shy smile, she held it out for him, and for a moment he could only stare at her in awe.

"You really have no idea how much this means to me Kagome." He said touching her wrist tentatively, "no fucking idea-"

"You're right, but I know how much it means to _me_ , and I want you, more than anything, forever."

That was all he needed to hear, without another word he latched on to her wrist, trying to be careful with her tender flesh as he swallowed.

The instant he did the power that filled the cave rushed into them and he felt her body pulsing with the unmistakable hum of demonic energy.

She was transforming.

He stopped breathing, closing his eyes, overcome by the sensation of being so close to another's change.

Had it been like this for her? Could she feel the whisper of demonic power flowing over her skin standing so close to him while _he_ transformed?

It was exhilarating, his body sending him signals of impending danger, even as his mind knew there was nothing to fear.

She cried out in pain and he released her immediately, looking up at her in concern.

Now that he wasn't latched on to her, she rolled off of him doubling over moaning in agony.

Her body pulsed, her power flaring, and he watched in dismay as she began writhe on the floor like she was on fire and couldn't put out the flames.

"Kagome!" he cried out, terrified he had done something wrong.

Wracking his brain for something he could do to help he reached for her, wanting to hold her through her suffering. The instant he touched her, her body convulsed and she screamed like a wounded animal.

He shrank away in horror, unsure what to do or how long this would last. Every cell in his body screaming in denial at being the cause of her suffering.

Desperate to comfort her he threw out his Mating Call, willing her to feel his love for her and know that he was right there, watching over her, even if he couldn't touch her.

The first visible change he noticed was her hair, the color slowly fading out of it right before his eyes, almost like it was dying.

First it became a dingier black, like cold embers, then an ashy gray that seemed to lighten gradually until there was barely a hint of color left, leaving the locks a silvery white.

She had curled into a ball and was rolling around holding her head in her hands tenderly, little whimpers escaping between sobs, and that's when he saw the ears.

They were easily the most adorable thing he'd ever seen, a bit smaller than his own, but otherwise identical. He could tell by the way they flattened to her head that she was overwhelmed by the sensitivity of her new hearing.

Fates he wished there were a way for him to help, but there was nothing he could do but sit and wait and wonder, and hope that everything would be ok.

He continued to Call to her softly trying to drown out the other sounds overwhelming her with his deep Song that was for her ears alone.

Watching the changes take place made him start to worry a bit, he couldn't help it.

This had all been great to think about in the hypothetical, when he had just been regurgitating what Myoga had told him in theory about a demon completing a full bonding with a human, but it was painfully clear he hadn't really thought it through.

And at the time Myoga had explained it to him, he had just been trying to understand why his father hadn't completed the bond with his mother.

He recalled what Myoga had told him would happen, and understood now why his father hadn't done this to his mother.

" _The demon blood would undoubtedly overpower the blood of the human, and the transformation would be so complete that none would ever guess they had ever been human in the first place, even those who may have known the human beforehand, would have trouble recognizing them then."_

Damn, it's not like he could be mad at the flea for not telling him this would happen, it was _his_ fault for thinking it would be nothing.

True he had never outright _said_ it would be painful but Inuyasha should've guessed as much.

She was changing so drastically, even _he_ could barely recognize her, but even if she looked different, she was still his Kagome, her scent that was unique to her alone and called to him like nothing else was still the same now tinged delicately with his own scent mixed with rain kissed forest to create the singular scent of their bond and she was more beautiful to him now than she he had ever been before.

What would Miroku and the others say? Would they be mad? Would he and Kagome have to leave the village?

He could almost hear Kagome's lecture as soon as he thought it.

' _I know, I know,_ _ **"They're our friends Inuyasha! How could you think they would ever feel differently about us?!"**_ _sorry I thought it_!' he mused to himself.

The persecution he had suffered all his life was far more normal to him than the more recent acceptance and affection he received from her and his friends.

But they were still going to be shocked, he was sure, especially the kit.

Shippou had been taking his place in the 'pack' very seriously lately, being more respectful and obedient to Inuyasha, and helping look after Hayami and Katsumi whenever Sango or Miroku needed him to.

He always let Inuyasha take the first pick of food and he didn't argue if Inuyasha stole something he was eating right out of his hand.

Without Kagome to punish him every time he disciplined the kit, Inuyasha had finally been able to earn his respect as Alpha.

He and Shippou had gotten really close in Kagome's absence, and nowadays Shippou treated him like a father not just his Alpha.

He even slept curled up in Inuyasha's lap whenever he was in the village between demon exams.

Inuyasha loved the damn kit and he was extremely proud of how much stronger Shippou had gotten.

Not just with his fox magic, his hand to hand, which he was working on with Inuyasha, was getting impressive as well.

Kagome's crying was letting up and he finally moved a little closer to her laying down where she could reach him if she wanted, but not close enough that he was actually touching her.

' _Please let this be over soon, I cant take it!'_

Everything about him rejected the idea of Kagome being in pain.

Him being the cause of it? Completely unbearable.

His demon railed at him to fix what had been done stop, her suffering even as it glowed with recognition that their bonding was now complete.

She let out a shuddering breath, and he relaxed slightly Calling to her a little louder, and she shocked the absolute shit out of him by Calling back.

Her Mating Call was quite and sweet, but strong and reassuring, just like her.

He had never heard anything so beautiful in his life, and the effect it had on him was staggering.

His body lost all its tension, filling with warmth that infused his entire being with her love.

He returned his Call louder in response and her eyes flew open like she was surprised.

She sat up and looked at him her eyes glowing a deep golden honey color that captivated him so completely he almost didn't hear her question.

"Did we just have a conversation in _dog_?"

He laughed, he couldn't help it she looked so confused, like she wasn't really sure it had happened, and he was just too relieved that she was ok.

She growled at him and he laughed harder, but decided to pull himself together and answer her.

"I'm sorry Kagome I'm not laughing at you, it just happened so naturally I was surprised by how confused you looked, and you're just so fucking _cute_."

She blushed and slowly crawled into his lap, finally letting him wrap his arms around her.

"So we _were_ talking in dog?" She pressed.

"We _were_ talking but it wasn't with _words_ , and it's not 'talking in dog' Kagome, it's Calling, I didn't really expect you to be able to understand. I just wanted to make you feel better."

"You're right it's not really words it's more like impressions and images, like if feelings could be sounds, I love it!" She gushed and this time they both laughed.

He buried his face in her hair and got serious.

"I was really worried about you, I'm sorry Kagome, I didn't know it would be like that or I would've warned you, honest."

"I know, and it wasn't that bad. I am glad it's over though, it's not like that every time you transform is it?" She asked as if concerned about him being in pain.

"No not at all." He assured her as he played with a lock of her hair marveling at the softness. This seemed to distract her and she cried out happily,

"Oooo pretty! My hair is just like yours!"

Her ears flicked in excitement and she jumped, her hand flying up to touch them.

" I have puppy ears too! I didn't expect that." She giggled.

"Me neither, but I understand why you like mine so much now." He said blushing. "They really suit you."

She beamed at him flashing her fangs.

"I wish I had a mirror."

"I bet Sango has one, feel like going for a run? We could see how fast we can get back to the village without me having to carry you." He teased. "Miroku's probably already got the headman arranging a feast to celebrate your return."

She seemed excited by the idea until she looked down as if just realizing she was naked.

When a quick glance around did nothing to help her figure out the whereabouts of her clothes her face fell.

"You can wear my fire rat until we get to the village, Sango or Kaede will have something you can wear." He offered and she beamed at him.

His demon positively purred at the thought of his female wrapped in his fur surrounded by his scent. _His_ for all to see.

He pulled her in for a gentle kiss that she returned with such tenderness his chest ached. She was the one who pulled away and he was glad because a few seconds longer and he'd have to have her beneath him again.

' _Mine'_

"Okay lets go!"

He was as excited as she was, he loved to run, and running with her was going to be ridiculously fun.

She was up and dressed in a matter of seconds.

His robe fit her tighter than he remembered it, in all the right places. And her silver hair was an even more shocking contrast to his haori than her ebony locks had been.

Her tiny ears twitched happily and her glowing honey eyes were driving him to distraction.

He stood up and pulled on his kosode.

"What about shoes?" She asked.

"You won't need them, you'll see."

He put out the fire and they walked to the mouth of the cave together.

"Can I really jump from here?"

"I'll go first, that way, if it looks like you aren't gonna land right, I can catch you, but I'm pretty sure you'll be fine."

With that he dropped to the ground below landing effortlessly and turned to encourage her.

"See? Easy. You can do it, it's fun! And running is even better!"

When she didn't jump immediately he Called to her playfully and that got her attention, with a look like an excited puppy she jumped, landing in a crouch, her hair settling around her as she stilled in awe.

' _Fucking breathtaking. And she's_ _ **mine'**_

His demon howled with pride and he Called the feeling out to her, letting her hear how he felt now that she could understand.

She grinned up at him, still crouching she growled,

"Let's _run!_ "

And they both took off sprinting through the trees, then they were leaping into them and launching themselves through the air playing more than anything else as they ran.

At one point Kagome pounced on him and he swiped at her playfully as she skirted away.

About a mile from the village she stopped suddenly, sniffing the air carefully, and dropping to a crouch with a growl. She prepared to spring and his instincts went mad with protectiveness. Just as she was about to lunge Sesshōmaru stepped out of the trees a few yards in front of her looking intrigued.

Inuyasha almost drew his sword out of habit but Kagome's reaction stopped him.

'Brother!' She Called like an excited pup, leaping up from her crouch and prancing around the clearing in an invitation to play.

She was still caught up in her playful mood, not even phased now that she knew what she had smelled was only Sesshōmaru.

Inuyasha had never seen Sesshōmaru struck stupid before and decided not to give the guy any grief. _He_ was having too much fun too.

He ignored his brother to aim another playful swipe at Kagome in an attempt to herd her towards the village, but she dodged him and went to pounce on Sesshōmaru, and Inuyasha didn't have time to stop her.

He was worried at first, but Sesshōmaru just swiped at her playfully too. Kagome dodged him just as easily and took off toward the village once more. Inviting him to join them on their playful way to the village without saying a word that he would feel obligated to turn down.

In unison he and his brother gave chase and the game continued.

Inuyasha swiped at Sesshōmaru and missed, giving Sesshōmaru the opening he needed to land a good shot to his stomach, only for Kagome to pounce on them both and leap away again with a giggle.

This was the most fun he'd ever had and he was willing to bet the same went for Sesshōmaru.

They kept up the game until the trees began to thin and then Sesshōmaru couldn't be provoked anymore.

In the privacy of the dense trees was fine, but he wasn't about to show his playful puppy side where anyone might witness it.

' _His loss'_ He though dismissively _._

But Kagome seemed genuinely sad when he stopped playing, a little whine in her throat as she looked at Sesshōmaru with droopy ears.

'There is a time for play little one' He Called to her, and it was Inuyasha's turn to be struck stupid.

He recovered quickly and went over to hug his pouting mate.

"Just be happy he played with us at all ok? That's kinda a big deal all by itself." Inuyasha chided.

"Indeed." Sesshōmaru quipped.

Sesshōmaru turned without another word and led the way towards the village.

Shippou and Rin were playing on the outskirts of the forest and they both looked up when the trio approached. Shippou didn't seem to know what to make of the change in Kagome's scent until he saw her.

'Momma?' He Called timidly.

Kagome didn't even hesitate.

'Pup!' She Called back sweetly, swooping down to pick him up and snuffle him. 'Mine.' She cooed nuzzling him while he cried.

Sesshōmaru shot Inuyasha a questioning look.

"Keh! We adopted the kit a long time ago, they've always been like this, Kagome just understands pack a little better now, that's all."

Sesshōmaru didn't bother to respond his attention suddenly diverted as Rin came bounding over to greet her Lord and Inuyasha watched the exchange carefully.

"Lord Sesshōmaru! You've returned!" The girl exclaimed, launching herself into his arms, he caught her and held her gently.

"Rin. Have you been well?"

"Yes my Lord, but I've missed you, when can I join you and Master Jaken again?" She whined.

"I do not wish for you to be unhappy Rin but there is much that must be done first. These things take time, and I must go places I cannot take a human like you."

Rin burst into tears, broke free of his embrace and tore off into the woods, sobbing uncontrollably.

Sesshōmaru looked at Kagome in utter confusion.

"I do not understand why she is crying."

Kagome shrugged,

"I could explain it to you but you probably still wouldn't get it"

"Try me." he said blandly.

"Well first of all she's probably PMSing." Kagome explained.

"What is peeamessing?" Sesshōmaru demanded.

Inuyasha wanted to know too.

"Premenstrual syndrome." She clarified.

"What syndrome? Is she ill?" He was getting more agitated with each vague hint Kagome offered.

"She's not yet, but she's about to be and it's not an ailment you can cure." She said with authority.

"How do you know she is ill, she smells healthy to me." Sesshōmaru pressed.

"Ill is probably the wrong word. She's not _sick_ , it's totally normal." Kagome assured him.

"This is _not_ normal" He insisted, clearly impatient with her cryptic responses.

Kagome laughed and Sesshōmaru bristled.

"Nor do I find it amusing little one, explain!" He growled.

"Yes it _is_ normal, how old is she?"

"Just over a decade maybe more she does not remember and this Sesshomaru does not keep track of such things."

"She seems older to me,"

She waved her hand around dismissively "Anyway the point is her body is changing. She's becoming a woman and that comes with a lot of physical and emotional stuff that can be really hard to handle at first, the main thing is getting upset easily, she didn't _mean_ to cry and she probably ran away because she was embarrassed."

"She should not be ashamed to cry in front of me, I do not wish to see her tears, but I do not want for her to hide them from me either." He snapped.

"Then you should go tell _her_ that." She said with a tender smile. "She really needs to hear it."

With that she walked away and Inuyasha followed her leaving Sesshōmaru behind to decide what he was going to do.

Sesshōmaru was taken aback it was just one amazement after the other today.

First he catches a strange scent on his way to visit his Rin that turns out to be his brothers fully bonded and no longer _human_ Mate.

As if that weren't unexpected enough she astounds him by Calling him to play with her and his brother, and he surprised himself even further by not only playing with them, but actually _enjoying_ himself.

Then to find out she and her mate had adopted a _kitsune_ , and now his Rin was in tears and hiding from him because 'she was becoming a woman'?

None of it made sense and he was beginning to wonder if this whole day had been nothing but a bizarre dream. More like a nightmare, he really hated to see his Rin cry, it made him want to slaughter something.

'Then you should go tell _her_ that'

The way she said that suggested that it would help his Rin, and that was good enough for him.

He turned on his heel and followed the familiar trail of his Rin's scent.

He found it hard to believe he hadn't noticed before, her scent hadn't exactly changed but it was more alluring to him now he had been visiting with more regularity unable to stay away and if his Rin was finally reaching her maturity it made sense that he couldn't be far from her. What if someone else were to try and claim her?

Fury clouded his mind a a could draft swirled around him.

' _Mine'_

He froze in mid stride. While he had always cared for the girl and felt an unrelenting need to be near her and protect her, this was the first time he had even though of her as-

' _Mine!'_

When had this happened? Was it just being so close to his brother when he was so recently bonded? Did it matter?

He resumed walking both compelled to be closer to Rin and taking comfort in the movement, probably because it brought him closer to his Rin.

He thought about the facts of his relationship with the girl. He was her protector, happiest when killing anything that threatened her. He brought her gifts because her pleasure brought _him_ pleasure. He visited often because being away from her made him feel empty and anxious, and the idea of another male, particularly a weak human _man_ trying to take her as their own- He barred his fangs in the darkness unable to stop the deep growl seething with violence from percolating up his throat

' _ **MINE!**_ '

Damn it! The instinct to claim her was a literal scream vibrating in every cell in his body bringing him nearly to the brink of transformation. In that moment he knew Kagome was right, he had some explaining to do with his Rin.

Rin sat on her favorite river rock looking out at the water as the current carried it down its path with a cheerful gurgle.

The sound soothed her and made her think of the low purr Lord Sesshōmaru made in his sleep. She had spent countless nights curled in the soft fur of his Mokomoko listening to the comforting sound of his breathing and that soft purr.

This was the closest she could get when he was gone, and so she often slept here to escape the far less comforting racket of Lady Kaede's snores, and to feel closer to him.

She missed traveling with him and had hoped that he missed it too, but he still thought of her as a useless human child, nothing but a burden and a nuisance.

She grimaced as more hot angry tears streamed down her face.

She wasn't one for crying and crying in front of Lord Sesshōmaru was the last thing she wanted to do. He already thought she was weak because she was human, she didn't want to give him any further evidence to support his reasons for not wanting to bring her along.

' _Oh so running made you look so much stronger?'_ she chided herself.

But she had just gotten her hopes up so much seeing Kagome transformed into a hanyou, that when Sesshōmaru had said he couldn't take a human with him her heart had just shattered.

He didn't feel the way she did. He didn't even like half demons, of course he wouldn't want _her_ for a mate, he didn't even want her for a traveling companion.

At that she broke down completely. Violent sobs wracked her body, her breath becoming harder and harder to draw as her chest became unbearably tight.  
Her vision blurred not just from tears but lack of air. Her muscles tightened as if she were going to run but her limbs were weak and trembling.

 _'Am I dying?'_ She thought as her vision faded.

Just as she was about to pass out Sesshōmaru appeared beside her. He dragged her into his arms and began racing back to the village.

She wanted to stop crying, she wanted to seem strong, but she couldn't think, she couldn't move, and she just couldn't _breathe_!

Kagome held Shippou close as she approached the village and Inuyasha walked protectively beside her daring someone to look at his Mate wrong.  
She was so sweet with the pup and he found himself once again wondering what _their_ pups would look like and if she wanted to have them.

She was about to learn first hand how differently half breeds were treated.

As a human she wouldn't have been able to smell the anger or the disgust of the people who hated him for what he was.

She might have even thought most of the village was friendly to him. Not true, most just feared him enough to leave him alone and benefit from him protecting the village.

He tolerated their feigned indifference with himself but his Mate? Even if he wanted to he wouldn't be able to let any mistreatment slide. He realized he was gripping his sword tightly as if he were thinking of drawing it and had to force himself to release the hilt.

They were starting at Miroku and Sango's because Lady Kaede was probably busy getting preparations in order to celebrate Kagome's return.  
There would be no hiding what Kagome was now from the villagers, but he wanted her to be seen by people who loved her first. He knew he'd need the monks help keeping himself in check, or helping him murder anyone who tried to hurt Kagome.

As they neared their friend's hut he realized he was still nervous about even Sango and Miroku seeing her, afraid they'd condemn him for putting her in such a position.

The door opened as they approached and Sango came running tears flowing down her face. His ears flattened preparing for her to yell at him but she just threw her arms around Kagome and wept openly.

"Oh Kagome I'm so happy for You! A full bond? That's wonderful! Oh these damn baby tears, I'm sorry! Hurry come inside, it's too dark out here for me to see you properly!"

She started dragging her to the open door and Kagome giggled and followed without hesitation while he stood frozen with disbelief.

It took him a while to shake off the feeling before he could follow her inside.

They were both sitting on the floor next to where Zen was asleep on a blanket of furs each holding a child while they talked.

"-and the bear demon said I was the stupid one for not having known what danger I'd put myself in not to mention Inuyasha! I didn't understand but they knocked me out with some kind of blow dart and the next thing I knew I was back in the cave with Inuyasha and he told me the bond was incomplete and that he would die if I were killed and I felt so stupid Sango!" Kagome wailed, her friend looked at her hard.

"You _should_ that was so reckless Kagome! Really what were you thinking going out all alone and with an incomplete bond!? I mean I know you didn't know everything but you _should_ have known _something_ had happened and you should've stayed near Inuyasha until he had time to explain!"

Inuyasha felt a rush of gratitude to the _Taijiya_

Glad for once that she knew so much about demon nature and practices and even more grateful that she and Kagome were friends.

He was about to say something when Sesshōmaru burst in with Rin limp in his arms breathing strangely. Her face was red and wet with tears. Her eyes were squeezed shut and her hands were gripping the front of her kimono so tightly her knuckles were white.

Sesshōmaru let out a plaintive Call too frantic and wild to speak and instantly Kagome was up handing Inuyasha the sleeping child and going over to the suffering one.

She pulled her into her arms and began stroking her hair and murmuring gently to her

"Slow breaths hunny, shhhh it's all right. I promise you'll be fine. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth, concentrate only on your breathing-shhhh there you go, nice and , it's okay" Kagome cooed.

She began rocking and purring softly, gently wiping away the child's tears which seemed to slow as her breathing gradually returned to normal, then almost pants as the odd breathing seemed to take over again.

'Brother' Kagome Called so the others wouldn't understand and Sesshōmaru was instantly kneeling in front of her looking concerned.

'Call _'_ she urged brushing the girls face whispering to her again.

"Shhhh, He's right here love just breathe like I told you, in through your nose out through your mouth, relax and listen, can you hear it?" She whispered so Rin was the only who human could hear her.

The girl's mouth was open as if trying to scream but no air could get past the tightness of her throat.

Just as he was about to ask what was wrong with her he heard the last thing he ever expected to hear.

His brothers Mating Call positively filled the room, it was everything his brother was not. Gentle, loving, tender, but also strong, protective, possessive, and devout as any Mate.

While everyone but Kagome seemed shocked, she and Sesshōmaru continued to comfort the girl until her body relaxed and her breathing became slow and even.

Her body glistened with a light sheen of sweat as if she had been running or working in the field, but she still didn't open her eyes and Sesshōmaru continued to Call to her, less frantically but still worried, desperately trying to comfort her.

As ever Kagome seemed to know what to do and passed her gently over to the frazzled male who shocked them all further by burying his face in her hair and lowering the Call so the only human who could hear it was Rin.

He copied Kagome stroking her face and hair murmuring so quietly to her even Inuyasha couldn't hear it.

When she seemed to have quieted completely Sesshōmaru lifted his eyes to Kagome.

"What was this Little One. I have never seen such an ailment and yet you knew exactly what to do."

Nothing was stated as a question but she answered anyway.

"In my time we call them panic attacks, it is when the body is flooded with so much panic that you feel like you can't breathe and it only makes the feeling worse because you think you're dying, and that of course causes more panic. I knew what to do because it's happened to me a few times, though I didn't really have anyone to help me through them. They can make you feel horribly ill but honestly there is nothing wrong she'll be fine."

Sesshōmaru's face became hard.

"How can nothing be wrong? She could neither speak or breathe."

"Well, as you can see she has started to breathe normally again, and she should feel up to speaking soon. The only thing she needed to do was calm down and breathe, and you helped her do that. If you want to know what's wrong and what caused it though you will have to ask her. Even in my time it is different for everyone."

She turned away from Sesshōmaru and buried her face in Inuyasha's neck.

"For me it was not being able to return where I belonged." She whispered to him.

"You're here now wench an you'll never leave my side again if I have anything to say about it." She Called quietly just for him and he thanked the Fates he had her by his side again, at last.

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE: Welcome back to MFE everyone!** I hope you like where the story is going please R&R and let me know what you think!


	4. Chapter 4

A glowing warmth resonated deep in Inuyasha's chest as he sat on the floor of Sango's hut holding his Mate. She was a perfect fit in his arms, soft and warm and heartbreakingly beautiful as she chatted with the others. They were all getting her caught up on what had happened since she left and he was content to let them do all the talking.  
He purred quietly, sinking his claws into her silvery locks, letting his mind wander while he stroked her silky hair with his eyes closed.

He had never been this happy, not even when his mother had still been alive. He was almost sick with relief that Kagome was not only back in his life but safely through the transformation initiated by the sealing of their complete bond.

Taking a deep breath he reveled in the strength of their bonding scent and had to bite back a moan. It was nearly impossible to control himself when he was near her and right now he was literally drunk off the way Kagome's scent mixed with his. It wasn't clear if it was so strong now because she was wearing his suikan or if it was due to the fact that his blood was a part of her very essence.

Her scent was unusually strong too making him feel a little lightheaded. He had always loved her scent, it did things to him that he hadn't understood at first, which is why he had told her he hated it back in the beginning.

What he'd actually hated was the loss of control he felt around her, the irresistible pull to be near this girl he didn't know, who looked way too much like the woman who had betrayed him and cost him fifty years of his life. The more he was around her though, the more he'd been intoxicated by it, and before too long, he was addicted to it.

She and everyone else thought he always went to fetch her if she was 'gone too long' because they needed to go look for the jewel, and no one could call him on it because they didn't have his sense of smell.

' _Or in Shippou's case, too young to notice the pattern._ ' He thought dryly.

The added benefit of their misapprehension being it was a convenient excuse. They _did_ need to look for the jewel shards and he _did_ need her to find them, so it was the perfect cover.

But the sad truth was, once her scent faded from his clothes and became nearly imperceptible in the village, he couldn't resist the impulse to go to her, even if he had to tell himself it was just to be near her scent.

Being in that room of hers had been heaven, but lying in her bed had been the most exquisite torture he had ever felt, before experiencing the pleasure of her body that is. It made him want her more than ever, and it made him accept there was more to what he wanted than just to smell her.

The entire room had been completely saturated with her scent, he loved it, his body flooding with warmth and a tight knot pooling in his stomach. He had been utterly aroused, and that was before he had laid in her bed where her scent was the strongest.

She had been studying and he hadn't been in a huge hurry to get back. So he had thought nothing of it when he went to lay on her bed to watch her, but as soon as he laid down the rush of air as he collapsed had swirled their scents together and he had lost himself completely.

That was when he realized the most incredible scent in the world was their scents combined, and he couldn't get enough. He rolled around on the covers spreading his scent over the bed until he was drowning in the combination, it was unbearably intoxicating, calming him, driving him crazy with lust, and making him feel drunk all at once.

Sure enough he'd passed the fuck out, and after that it was over.

He had since lost track of the countless times he went out of his way just to catch her scent on the breeze, or carry her for no reason so he could have a taste of what he had found lying in her bed that night.

Hell during the hunt for the sacred jewel he'd find the best place to stand or walk when he wasn't carrying her so she was always the main thing he could smell, even going so far as to sleep down wind of her whenever he could so he could smell her in his sleep.

The choice had him painfully aroused most of the time which looking back on it now, was why he tended to be overly cranky with her without provocation. He had never been more grateful for the long sleeves of his suikan than when he was around Kagome and her tantalizing scent.

Her missing scent had been the most constant reminder of her absence that had tortured him over the last three years, with the Well itself holding her scent the longest until it too smelled only of him.

' _Kami but now it's even better.._ ' He mused.

Her scent was stronger than it had been then, and now it permanently held a delicate trace of his own that blended perfectly with her natural essence.

The fusion was so powerfully alluring to him it was like his body had a mind of its own, he was hopelessly drawn to her, utterly addicted.

He would have continued to drown in her scent oblivious to the world around him, but now that Shippou and the children were asleep Sango had turned the questions to Kagome, and Miroku took the change of subject as an opportunity to pick on Inuyasha as only he could.

"So Lady Kagome, how many broken hearts did you leave behind when you decided to come back to us? Didn't anyone in your time try to win you over?" He asked mischievously.

Kagome and Sango laughed, but Inuyasha was not amused in the slightest.

Miroku was trying to provoke him and if he kept it up, he was going to be biting off more than he could chew.

Kagome fell for the monk's innocent act and replied,

"Well, I've told you about Hojo before and he was still obnoxiously persistent for a long time. Like, even though he was accepted at an all boys high school he came by my house with gifts almost everyday, hoping I'd feel obligated to invite him in or agree to go on a date."

Sango was sitting forward nearly crushing baby Zen in her enthusiasm to hear the outcome of what had to be painful attempts for the bastard to get Kagome's attention.

Inuyasha sniffed the air for a more reliable clue as to whether or not the boy's advances had been appreciated. Just as he suspected there was only annoyance and embarrassment in her scent as Kagome shook her head guessing where Sango thought she was going with the story.

"I never did, and when Sota asked me why, I told him I had never had feelings for the guy."

Inuyasha relaxed a bit at that and remembered the pathetic moron she was talking about, he had been obvious about his feelings and Kagome had been just as obvious in her disinterest.

 _'Really the only thing she had ever sought they guy out for was help studying. So why didn't he take the hint?'_

"Keh! Fucking idiot." He groused.

"Still too love sick over a certain _hanyou_?" Miroku teased.

Kagome and Inuyasha both blushed but she didn't get distracted by the taunt. Inuyasha managed to glare menacingly at Miroku over Kagome's shoulder as she continued.

"Sota seemed really annoyed after that and decided he'd get his friends together to come up with ideas to get him to stop coming over." She said suppressing a giggle, obviously amused by the memories of what that entailed.

"Why were your brother's friends involved?" Sango asked "did one of _them_ have feelings for you?"

' _What the hell are they in this together?'_

"More likely all of them did." Miroku said cheerfully. "Lady Kagome is quite-"

"Mi. Ro. _Kuuu_ " Inuyasha growled dangerously.

The damn monk just smiled, and let the comment trail off. He was obviously having way too much fun with this, especially since Inuyasha was loosing patience faster than usual.

Kagome's hands flew up in front of her and she waved them frantically, but he was distracted more by the way her ears flicked in agitation.

' _so_ _cute_.'

"No, no! Not at all, it was nothing like that! It's just that they were very close to Sota and when I disappeared for three days he was really upset! They worried about him so they were around a lot after the Well closed. And well, I guess they just got protective, ya know? It was kinda like having five little brothers who all thought of you as their little sister!"

She laughed awkwardly and her scent shifted, she wasn't lying but there was something she wasn't saying that made her uneasy and he wondered what she didn't want them or more likely _him_ to know. Her assurance didn't reassure _him_ in the slightest. There was something about _why_ they were being protective that she didn't want any of them to know.

"Anyway, their first idea was innocent enough. They'd come over after school and play video games, or watch a movie, and they'd drag me in to sit with them, so they were always there when Hojo showed up to see me." Kagome continued with her story before anyone else caught on that she was hiding something.

"Interesting and what did they do to the poor boy when he showed up?" Miroku asked. He seemed highly amused that the story had taken this turn, probably because it was sure to trigger an even better reaction out of the newly bonded male.

"Nothing really at first. It started out with them just making faces and lewd gestures at him behind my back to rile him up. It seemed to have worked at first because he stopped coming by the house, but then he started to bump into me when I wasn't home more often. I didn't know how he kept finding me until later when I found out he was asking my friends about my schedule, and I realized he was taking off school early so he could wait for me when I got out." Irritation was clear in her voice even without Inuyasha's keen sense of smell.

Her scent was tinged with annoyance frustration and betrayal, this was _not_ a pleasant memory for her.

Inuyasha growled low, her aggitated scent triggering his protective instincts as surely as a threat were standing before her, he didn't like where this story was going at all. Kagome's ear twitching was the only sign she heard the sound, and he cut it off not wanting to upset her.

Miroku seemed less amused now.

Clearly he, like Inuyasha, found the _poor boy's_ behavior less than acceptable for someone Kagome had not expressed interest in, and likely to get a far more dangerous reaction out of said female's Mate.

"Some friends! Didn't they know you didn't like him?" Sango grouched.

"Yeah, I'd been telling them that for years, and they never listened to me. They seemed to think he was 'the perfect guy' for me and then it got really weird. He was suddenly everywhere. Like he'd just happen to be shopping at the same store, or be studying at the library at the same time, or taking something to the post office the same day. Things like that, it was just creepy!"

It was Sango's turn to look pissed, she was no longer playing along with her mischievous husband.

"You can't be serious!" She exclaimed in outrage for her friend.

"You have no idea, it was _so_ awkward! It was about a month before Sota found out Hojo was showing up pretty much everywhere I went, and that's when he got _really_ upset. He and his friends all started walking me to and from school and helping me run errands then. After a while it was pretty obvious they were actually trying to warn _everyone_ , not just Hojo, to stay away- probably Sota's idea, but Hojo was the only one who still wasn't taking the hint." She griped.

Inuyasha smiled tightly to himself, he'd always liked that kid.

' _I can even imagine the way he must have glared at Hojo and every guy that even dared to look at her, reliable little twerp.'_ He thought with more than a little pride.

"Kami, how stupid _is_ this guy?!" Sango exclaimed and Miroku nodded sagely, his earlier amusement apparently completely forgotten.

' _You have no idea'_ Inuyasha said silently, curious how the kids finally got the idiot to back off.

"So one of Sota's friends got the bright idea to take my hand in front of Hojo, pretend that we were dating or something and Hojo freaked out worse than we expected, he actually _snatched_ my hand away from Ryu and called me a whore for leading him on and teasing him with another guy. In front of the whole school! I'd never heard him speak like that before and then he seriously tried to beat up my brother's friend screaming 'no Jr high punk is gonna take what's mine!' I mean honestly, like holding hands makes you a whore."

Without warning Inuyasha's vision went red, one second he was fine the next he was ready to kill something, the growl he had previously smothered returning with a vengeance.

His blood was pulsing with his rage, his demon screaming inside him to destroy the male who dared to insult his mate and try to lay claim to what was his. He pictured Hojo challenging _him_ to a battle for Kagome's affection and felt his body prime for a fight.

 ** _'Mine_**!' the roar in his head was so loud it drowned out all sounds around him and he found it nearly impossible to fight the need to mark her here and now even though the offender was human and wouldn't be able to smell his marking scent.

Oblivious to Inuyasha's internal struggle Sango gasped still absorbed in Kagome's story, but Miroku looked worriedly at Inuyasha, he knew his game had backfired and things were headed in a truly dangerous direction he hadn't anticipated.

Seeing Miroku's concern a small part of him was trying to regain control of himself. He tried to focus on her voice, her scent, the feel of her delicate weight in his arms, but logic was hard to maintain in this state of mind as his demon continued to rage.

' ** _MINE_**!'

"So what happened?" Sango pressed adjusting the blanket one of the twins had accidentally kicked off in her sleep, still not picking up on Inuyasha's near loss of control.

"Sota and the rest of his friends beat the hell out of him in front of everyone! Hojo was hospitalized, my brother and his friends were suspended, and no one, including Hojo, ever asked me out again!" Kagome and Sango laughed satisfied with the outcome of the situation and amused by the bastards failure, but Inuyasha was too preoccupied with his own.

He tightened his arms around Kagome and tried to focus on breathing evenly, reminding himself that Hojo had been dealt with.

' ** _Not enough, touched Mate! Kill –'_**

"Inuyasha? Are you ok?"

He shook his head trying to fight off the need to kill.

No he was not ok, he couldn't see straight through his fury, his demon roiling inside him so distracting, he didn't even know who had asked the question about his wellbeing.

Hell, he had barely heard the question at all.

He felt almost as violent as he had back at the hot spring but this time there was nothing he could kill in front of him.

Not only had another male publicly insulted his Mate and laid a false claim on her, he had not been the one to pummel the bastard for trying it!

Younger, weaker, _human_ , **_children_** had done what he should have been there to do, what he _couldn't_ because the well wouldn't let him through, and worst of all they'd left him _alive!_

' _Damn_ _it_!' He was totally losing it, he could feel his blood pulsing with power, and images of that bastard trying to take what was his swirled in his mind fanning the flames of his rage.

" ** _Mine_**!" He growled in defiance, not sure if the word had come out in a human tongue or Inu.

The sound was all but a roar and in the same instant his youki exploded around him in an icy blast daring anyone and anything to oppose his claim. He needed to kill, he needed to avenge his Mate, he needed something to destroy. He needed to Mark her, and he could do none of those things right now. He was fighting his instincts with everything he had, but it felt like a loosing battle, deep down he _wanted_ his instincts to win

His companions handled it like the experts they were.

Miroku, looking contrite, instantly put himself as far from Kagome as possible not meeting Inuyasha's eye by pretending he was tending the fire.

Sango calmly laid back on the futon as if she were just curling up with her children, subtly turning out her hips so her belly was exposed. She casually settled Zen next to Hayami and gazed absently at the stars through the window, managing to bare her throat as well, and Kagome quietly leaned back against his chest like she was just tired and resting her head on his shoulder.

The movement revealed the mark on her neck which she reached up to touch tenderly with a soft sigh.

No one rebuked him for getting upset or tried to calm him with cold logic, they trusted him completely and understood him better than he had ever guessed.

The biggest surprise to him was that they were treating him not just like family, but like pack, like their Alpha.

Even if they were just doing this because they knew how dangerous a newly bonded male was, it was incredibly touching and helped him settle down almost instantly.

He nuzzled and licked the Mark he had placed on his Mate, the urge to kill quickly overpowered by the urge to mate and the rage dying down as his demon gave in to its affection for its Mate. Burying his face in her beautiful silvery hair, he inhaled her soothing scent and tried to pretend the sting in his eyes was from the youki fading.

It was Miroku who broke the silence as if nothing had happened.

"Sango dearest would you mind going to see if Lady Kaede has completed her rounds for the day and wouldn't mind coming here while I finish making arrangements with the headman? I believe it would be best if she were the first to know about Lady Kagome's change in _status_ wouldn't you agree?"

Sango nodded and stood slowly carefully lifting baby Zen with her without disturbing the twins.

"Alright, I'll be back soon. Kagome would you mind holding Zen again? The twins will definitely stay asleep but I swear he wakes up the instant I try to leave the room if someone isn't holding him."

Kagome wiggled out of Inuyasha's lap despite his protesting whine, and stood up to take the sleeping infant, her ears twitching as if checking to see if the movement had disturbed him at all.

Inuyasha could only stare, it was one thing to see Sango holding the tiny delicate bundle, but seeing Kagome with him would have brought him to his knees if he hadn't already been sitting.

She was so beautiful with an infant in her arms and as she stared down at the mixture of Sango and Miroku in the tiny bundle he couldn't help imagining what their children might look like.

He could see it so clearly her rounding with his pups the smell of milk and the sweet unique scent of his pup clinging to her skin, tiny ears golden eyes and soft silver hair.

He shook himself out of his fantasy with a jolt of horror. He had already rushed her into a Mating bond what if she wasn't ready to have children?

His mind began to race.  
' _Does she even want pups with me? How am I ever going to ask her?_ ' He started to panic a little. What would he do if he asked and she didn't want them? His stomach rolled and he tried desperately to calm himself and think of something anything else, to no avail.

She was just too enchanting gently rocking Zen back and forth in her arms, humming softly to him even though he was sound asleep. She didn't look like a female who didn't want pups, but was that just wishful thinking?

She looked over at him hesitantly, like she had something to ask, but before she could say anything they were interrupted as Sango walked in with Miroku right behind her.

He was shamelessly going in for a grope that Sango let slide for once as she announced,

"Kaede says she will be along shortly, she had one more house to visit. I didn't tell her anything so she's a bit confused as to why she needed to come here, but I told her we would explain when she gets here."

Inuyasha was still watching Kagome as she quickly handed Zen back to his mother and felt his heart sink as she glanced back at him with a worried expression.

She sniffed the air lightly and seemed confused, like she couldn't understand the confusion in his scent.

He looked away trying to hide the undisguised longing in his eyes. He really needed to give her some time to get used to being Mated and actually talk to her about pups before he let himself get too caught up in the fantasy _he_ had three years to get comfortable with.

He knew the yearning in his eyes was unmistakable and he couldn't handle Kagome rejecting him, couldn't even handle the possibility of it.

A distraction presented itself in the way of Lady Kaede arriving announced by her sharp gasp at the sight of not one but two silver hanyou waiting in Miroku's hut.

"What on earth?!" She cried out.

Inuyasha flinched at her tone, which was not encouraging in the least. She was glaring at him now and he met her gaze refusing to cower as if he had done something wrong.

The old hag would either accept Kagome was his Mate and her transformation as a result, or they would leave. He wasn't about to let anything make Kagome regret her decision to complete the Mating bond with him.

Kaede looked to Kagome who simply faced her mentor for the first time in three years with golden eyes that were steady and unflinching, but soft and kind as the brown had been.

Kaede's hand flew to her mouth but to his surprise it wasn't to stifle a scream.

The kindhearted female's scent was a mixture of surprise confusion and a deep concern that was evidently the source of the tears now glazing over her eyes.

"How is this possible?" She breathed, looking between the pair of silver haired half demons.

Kagome didn't seem to know how to answer that.

Inuyasha stood up and gently pulled her back into his arms looking directly at the older woman as he spoke,

"When Kagome returned every thing happened so fast, I had bonded with her and Marked her before I was even sure she was actually here, I had dreams-" he blushed so profusely that he was sure Kagome could feel the heat radiating off him even if she couldn't see it.

"She was gone when I woke up, so at first I figured it was just another dream until I caught her scent and realized she was really here, and what I had done before I'd even had a chance to explain."

Kaede was speechless so he continued,

"She had gone off alone and I could smell demons nearby and I was nearly too late to save her." His throat tightened with remembered terror and he couldn't go on right away.

That earned Kagome a scathing glare from everyone Kaede included so she chimed in defensively,

"Inuyasha explained what the Marking meant and the danger I put us in by running off so I won't do it again! I didn't mean for any of that to happen and when he mentioned the full bond I was curious, after he told me what it meant and what would happen if we went through with it, I couldn't help but want to finish the bond, it felt like I had to." She said like it was the answer everyone was looking for.

Kaede opened her mouth as if she were going to argue so Kagome waved her hands frantically to dismiss whatever misunderstanding the older woman had come to.

"Not like he _expected_ me to, or that I was obligated to because _he_ had, but- I honestly felt like I would die if I didn't and then he told me how it was done and the feeling that I needed to complete the bond got even stronger, so I did." She explained.

A wave of tenderness washed over him and he almost forgot everyone else in the room.

' _Kagome_ …'

He was touched by Kagome's words, and even though he never would have burdened her by telling her as much, he had felt the same way. He wouldn't have been able to keep himself from bonding with her even if he had know for sure it hadn't been another dream, she was his Mate and he felt the need to Mark her down to his very soul.

Kaede's face was pale and the scent of fear was coming off her in waves, her voice tight with consternation,

"Ye take too little thought before ye act child! Ye knew not that Ye would not perish from such a bond being performed, and Inuyasha with ye, yet ye did so without hesitation! Know Ye anything of what has transpired?!" She chided.

Kaede's words stung, she was treating them as if they had done something wrong and part of him was terrified that her fears were justified.

He would never knowingly cause Kagome any harm but there was a lot about this that he just didn't know.

He spoke up to draw Kaede's attention away from Kagome,

"I knew that fully bonded Mates share a blood tie that binds them mind body and soul more completely than the Mating claim, but I honestly didn't know exactly what would happen." He said defensively.

' _What if Kagome had died?'_ He couldn't help thinking with no small amount of guilt.

He released Kagome and slowly lowered himself to the ground resting his arms on his knees. He looked away from them all and fell silent for a time. He hated admitting this to all of them but he continued,

"I don't know more than the basics from what Myoga told me almost a century ago, but that didn't stop me from completing it when Kagome said that was what she wanted. It was what I wanted too, it just felt right, and never though she would be danger."

The last was said so quietly he wasn't sure if the others had even heard what he said.

Kaede looked taken aback but she composed herself quickly.

"What was it that Master Myoga told Ye Inuyasha?" She said in thin shaky voice.

Inuyasha was feeling really uncomfortable at this point Kaede's reaction to seeing Kagome was more than hurtful, it was making him uneasy too. It was clear she was honestly concerned and that had him rattled enough to tell the truth.

"I had asked Myoga what would have happened if my Father had completed a full bond with my Mother and all he said was; 'The demon blood would undoubtedly overpower the blood of the human, and the transformation would be so complete that none would ever guess they had ever been human in the first place, even those who may have known the human beforehand, would have trouble recognizing them then.' He never mentioned it being dangerous for the human." He hated the tightness in his throat and they way his voice trembled as he spoke.

He looked to Kaede for reassurance that that was all she needed to hear and her concerns were resolved, but her face just softened with compassion, and the worry was still in her eyes.

"Ah yes, but Yer Mother be not a _Priestess_ Inuyasha, had Ye thought to ask Lord Myoga what might happen if Ye were to complete a full bond with _Kagome_ me thinks he may have warned ye that trying to form a bond between demon and Miko would be too dangerous for fear that one may overcome the other and both be lost!" She said in a strained but gentle tone.

Inuyasha's heart stopped dead, his breath exploding from his chest, the reason for Kaede's fear and concern hitting him like a knife in his gut.

A crushing terror at the near miss overcame him and he would have fallen to the ground from the agony in his chest if he weren't already sitting down. As it was all he could do was stare in horrified understanding at the older priestess, when Kagome cut in.

"That may be but we _weren't_ overcome. I know I have the ability to purify even a half demon but my power recognizes Inuyasha and I would never hurt him, he was never in any danger from me and I knew I was never in danger from him!" She said with utter conviction.

Kaede smiled gently as she came forward to cup Kagome's cheeks,

"Aye But Ye must have been in such excruciating pain child, however did Ye manage it?"

Inuyasha was suddenly drowning in images of Kagome writhing in pain as she transformed the agony of watching her suffer burned in his memory like fire, he felt sick and nearly fell catching himself with his hands he dug his claws into the floor to keep from throwing up.

He had just gotten her back, and he had been so desperate to make her his forever that he didn't even think about what could go wrong.

He didn't think of her as a priestess she was just his Kagome and by trying to bind her to him he could have killed them both with his own blood!

The nausea got worse and he tried to breathe closing his eyes he focused on Kagome's scent there was no fear or regret, and even though he could smell her tears they were not from sadness.

He could sense her still unwavering conviction through the bond and her love washed over him warming him from the inside out like the first rays of the sun after a moonless night.

There was no deceit in her scent and no uncertainty in her tone as she spoke in a hoarse whisper,

"It didn't hurt as badly as it did every day for the last three _years_ believing I'd never see him again."

He stopped breathing and hadn't even realized he had moved before he was off the floor and dragging his Mate into his arms. By the time he noticed what had happened he had already collapsed on the ground again and Kagome was cradled in his lap with Inuyasha's face buried in her hair.

His breath was ragged and it was taking everything he had not to break down in front of everyone. He didn't have words for how much she meant to him, how terrified he was by the thought of losing her. How much her return had saved him or how happy she had made him not only by bonding with him, but by defending that bond with such pride and conviction. He would have done anything to spare her the pain of all of it, suffered the loneliness and the pain of loosing her a hundred times over to save her from feeling this way now.

He poured everything he was feeling into the song of his Mating Call and just held her to him forgetting that anyone else was there.

Her Call joined his and they held each other letting the love and comfort flow between them.

The meaning the same for them both,

' _You are my life'_

After a while his heart slowed, the terror fading into certainty that everything was as I should be.

Kagome was the one who spoke first.

"Look, Inuyasha may not have all the answers and maybe you're right and completing the bond could have killed us both but it didn't, it felt like the right thing for us, and sometimes you just have to follow your heart, are you able to be happy for us and accept me as I am now or should we leave and find somewhere else to go?"

Everyone stared at her in horror.

"I never meant that I couldn't accept Ye Child! I was unprepared for this turn of events as I did not believe such a thing could be done. Yet it matters not what Ye believe to be possible when that which is _supposed_ to be impossible stands before Ye. I'm happy for Ye truly but still I worry that it may not be as simple as living through the change, there is much we do not yet understand." Kaede looked ready to faint.

"You're right, and I promise to reach out to Myōga and see what he knows, but for the time being I'm more concerned about the villagers and whether we have to worry about Kagome's safety when it comes to them." Inuyasha replied pulling away enough to answer without letting go of Kagome.

Kaede considered that for a moment and seemed more than a little concerned when she responded.

"There be a few older families that live out past the Western fields that be more religious and mistrustful than most people of the village. They are distant cousins of my father who was slain by demons and they believed my late sister met her fate because she was seduced by Inuyasha. They are terrified of demons and claim the village is cursed because we have not driven out Inuyasha and young Shippou, so they do not often come to the village, nor do I believe they have the courage to threaten Kagome, but they will undoubtedly consider her a fallen priestess and Ye would find them most unpleasant."

Miroku laughed,

"They will keep their opinions to themselves or they will find out just how _unpleasant_ _Inuyasha_ can be, not to mention myself and my lovely wife, isn't that right my dear Sango?!" He crowed.

She smiled wickedly at her husband,

"Exactly, plus, half this village was in love with Kagome before she left and the rest respected her as an honorable priestess and savior of the village, anyone who doesn't feel that way is too terrified of Inuyasha to say so, or has already moved on to another village. I really don't think we have anything to worry about." Sango agreed.

Inuyasha wasn't feeling any better about Kagome's safety and it was making him twitchy, Tetsusaiga hummed eagerly at his side thirsty for the blood of any who might threaten Kagome.

He'd had enough for tonight. It was getting late and he wanted to get Kagome back to their cave.

"We're headed back, it's been a long day and Kagome needs to rest." Inuyasha said without meeting anyone's eyes.

Sango opened her mouth to argue but Miroku stopped her with a hand on her arm.

He didn't wait for goodbyes just scooped Kagome up and took off for the cave as fast as his legs would carry them.

He would be damned if he shared Kagome for a minute longer, they had things to discuss privately and she deserved an explanation about what happened today.

The trip back was much shorter because they weren't distracted by Sesshōmaru and a playful game of chase and before long they were back in his cave.

Inuyasha set Kagome down and got to work building a fire and Kagome made her way over to the corner to sit in their pile of furs braiding her hair with a far away look in her eyes as she waited for him to finish with the fire.

She was so unbearably beautiful in the firelight that all he could do was stare.

"I'm sorry for loosing it back there." He whispered.

He'd grown so used to apologizing under his breath, too proud to say it directly and too ashamed of one behavior or another to stay silent.

In the past he'd gotten away with it because no one could hear him, but Kagome's hearing was as good as his was now and this time the apology did not go unnoticed.

Her eyes widened and for a moment she said nothing, then she smiled flashing her beautiful fangs and ducked her head shyly.

"It's fine, I was flattered actually, I'm sorry too, I didn't mean to upset you." Her ears drooped and she pulled on her braid twisting the end around one elegantly clawed finger before letting it fall out of its neat plait and then twisting it back together again.

It was so much easier to read her now but she still baffled him. She was worried about having upset him?

 _'Shit_ '

Great, now he felt even worse about freaking out over her story.

"You didn't upset me Kagome, I, uh- look I don't really know how to explain this without sounding like a monster." He said sheepishly.

 _'How fucked up is it that even hearing about another male wanting her made me lose it like that?'_ He thought bitterly.

"You could never be a monster to me Inuyasha." She assured him.

' _Fucking_ _hell_ ' He cursed to himself.

He couldn't keep himself from touching her anymore, he pulled her to his chest and just held her reveling in her unique scent and the feel of her perfect body pressed against him.

It was a long time before he could speak but she didn't pull away.

' _You don't have to think I'm a monster for it to be true even if I wish it weren't'_ He almost told her _._

She seemed genuine about not being afraid of him, maybe she just didn't understand? He didn't know much about it but he could tell her what had happened today, maybe the she would get it, but hopefully she would still not be afraid of him.

"I had heard that the protective instinct of a bonded male was powerful, but I didn't think it would completely take over me like this. Hell, even before I Marked you, I gladly killed anything that threatened you, but that feeling was different. Killing them was was fun and I liked it, but I could have stopped. Now I couldn't stop myself even if I wanted to. Even if people we cared about were in the way, like today." He confessed.

"But you didn't kill anyone today." She pointed out in confusion.

He pulled away to look her in the eye.

"Only because Sango and Miroku know more about Inuyoukai than I thought, their responses were perfect, especially Miroku. I don't want you to be scared of me _ever_ but I need you to understand how dangerous I am to everyone _except_ you." He said carefully.

"What do you mean?" She asked still not getting how serious things had been.

He hesitated pulling away completely, shame making him withdraw into himself. She needed to know but he wish he didn't have to be the person to tell her.

"If Miroku hadn't moved away from you, hell, if he had so much as _looked_ at you _or_ me in that moment, I would have slaughtered him without a thought." He admitted without looking away from her.

She stared at him searchingly, her honey eyes glowing with concern.

"You're serious?" She said cautiously.

He just glared into the fire unable to meet her eyes and nodded in answer to her question.

She laughed and he looked back at her, his eyes nearly popping out of his head in surprise and she giggled again pulling him down for a kiss.

"Kagome what the hell are you laughing about? Have you lost it?" He demanded.

"It really is flattering ya know? And you being so worried about it is just so you. It's natural to be overly protective, from a biological standpoint, it's self preservation. Plus our friends know how to react so I'm confident you won't end up hurting them, even if you were worried for a second that you would have, but thanks for telling me." She said pleasantly.

He was just staring at her dumbfounded.

"Do you feel better now?" She asked cupping his face in her hands.

He was still speechless so all he could do was stare at her and nod.

"So, now that we've gotten passed that, there was something I didn't get to ask you before Sango and Miroku came back." She began carefully.

She looked so nervous he didn't have the slightest idea what she wanted to ask him, and he was suddenly nervous too.

His curiosity was killing him as she sat there without speaking, blushing as red as the Fire Rat, and refusing to meet his eyes.

"I don't know why this is so hard to discuss this I've run it over in my head a thousand times even before I came back!" She exclaimed in exasperation.

He knew how that felt, but he couldn't imagine anything she could ask for that he wouldn't give her.

"What're you afraid will happen if you ask?" He teased her with genuine confusion.

"I'm mostly afraid that it's too late or maybe too soon and that we might not feel the same about each other if we don't agree." She said in a rush.

"That's ridiculous Kagome, Nothing will change how I feel about you and why would it be too late?"

"Because we are already mated" She said like it was obvious.

His blood ran cold, it was too late because they were already mated?

' _Does she regret mating with me?'_

"You're right I can't change that but I would never want to, would you?" He said in a choked voice.

She looked away like she wasn't sure she believed him and he had to stifle a whimper. It was a while before he could collect himself enough to ask.

"And why would it be too soon?" He whispered to keep his voice from cracking.

She blushed again and his confusion came back full force.

"Because we've only been mated for like five minutes and since I didn't ask before it might already be too late in a different way." She said in a defeated tone.

"Ok Kagome, you're freaking me out why does this have anything to do with our bond and why do you think it would change how I feel?" He demanded almost angrily.

His heart was racing his stomach was churning and his eyes were starting to sting.

"I'm sorry I'm not trying to upset you it's just easier to answer your direct questions than to ask my own." She said with genuine remorse.

"I can't answer a question you don't ask Love." He pointed out gently.

She took a deep breath and let it out then she searched his face as if she were trying not to miss anything

"Do you want- pups?" She asked in a tiny nervous voice.

' _Oh shit'_ He wasn't ready for this conversation.

Had she seen the desperation and longing on his face when she was holding baby Zen? Why did she say it was too late because they were already mated? Did she regret mating him because she didn't want to and she could tell that he- fuck his eyes were burning, what if she didn't want pups and she was looking for him to deny it too?

' _But that can't be it she looked so happy holding baby Zen, it was like she was made to be a mother.'_

Was it just being the mother of a hanyou that worried her?

"Kagome, I-" his voice cracked and he lost the rigged control he had on his body.

Before he could stop himself he had dragged her into his arms and was kissing her like she had already said yes, like she was already carrying his pup and had just told him she was pregnant.

He let himself fantasize for the millionth time what their young would look like, and that's when he broke,

"Fuck Kagome I don't know what you want me to say, if that's not what you want I understand but it doesn't change the way I feel about you." He choked out.

She pulled away a bit,

"So you _do_ want them?" She pressed searching his face as if she could see the answer before he gave it.

He didn't miss the hope in her tone this time and he felt his heart leap could it be that she wanted pups as much as he did?

"It's all I've been able to think about since Sango got pregnant with the twins." He admitted with a blush.

"Really? It's really not too soon for you?" She asked excitedly.

His choked laugh was more of a cough,

"Kagome, do you have any idea how old I am?" He asked in amusement.

She blushed and her adorable ears flattened with a sweet whine.

"You don't look much older than me even though I know you were sealed to the sacred tree for fifty years I don't really think that counts."

He laughed again,

"I may not count that time either Kagome but I was alive for over a century and a half before I even met Kikyou and as a dog demon I was fully mature after my first seven, as a hanyou I age faster than a demon would but only by an extra six days a year thanks to my human nights simply put I'm about twenty physically, but I've been fully mature for almost two hundred years now." He told her.

She just stared at him and suddenly her eyes filled with tears and she began to cry uncontrollably.

"What the hell Kagome, what's wrong? Is it that big a deal?" He asked frantically.

She gasped for air trying to talk through her tears,

"N-no! I-it's ju-u-ust s-su-ch'a l-lon-ng t-time t'b-ee a-a- _lone_!" She sobbed.

He was completely speechless, only Kagome would think about how hard such a long life had been on him.

Even his demon was touched by this, cherishing her compassion and yearning to comfort her.

' _ **Mate**_ ' it purred with absolute affection, there was no possessive pull just utter tenderness and love.

He didn't resist the instinct to pull her close and lovingly kiss and lick his Mark, Calling to her begging her not to cry for him.

" _Mate_!" she whined back, " _Mate_ _hurt_!"

"Not anymore." He insisted verbally, "I have _you_ now Kagome, and if you bare my pups I'll have everything I've ever dreamed of. You've already given me a pack, bonded with me even though I'm just a half breed, become one yourself even though it could have killed you, to have my young- that would make me the happiest I've ever been, the happiest _anyone_ has ever been." He assured her.

She beamed at him even as tears continued to run down her face. He tenderly licked them away yipping sweetly to her as she gradually calmed.

Then it occurred to him why her scent had been so much stronger since she arrived, why his demon had rushed to claim her immediately and why he was behaving even more possessively and irrational than he had heard of bonded males being.

She had already been in heat when she returned, he hadn't stood a chance, and in a few days time they'd know for sure if what she meant by 'too late in a different way' was exactly right.

" _Fuck_ ," he moaned desperately, dragging her to his mouth.

He had to get inside her, his demon was screaming to take her again in case the pup didn't already take.

It wanted her screaming in pleasure and clawing his back as he filled her, and he was happy to oblige.

He tore off his suikan baring her naked flesh which he quickly covered with his mouth nipping licking and kissing a path to her sweet heat.

She moaned loudly at his ministrations, and he grins savagely as he dove into her wet heat. She tasted like hot honey and he growled as her juices flowed faster and thicker with every lick.

Her legs were trembling and her breath was coming in pants broken by deep throaty moans that caused a curling tightness to pool in his belly.

He felt a slight wetness as his hips rocked against her involuntarily the friction causing him to cry out into her core as his cock wept to replace his tongue at her slick entrance.

Her hands sank into his hair and quickly found the tender flesh of his ears, rubbing them gently, he moaned loudly and tore away so he could remove his clothes.

"I wanna be inside you when you do that, and I want you to know exactly how fucking amazing it feels." He growled pulling her hair to arch her into him as he entered her with a powerful thrust.

Her talented fingers found his ears again and he nearly roared in pleasure as he started to move inside her.

With a vicious growl he took one of her sensitive ears and rubbed it gently as he latched on to one of her nipples sucking hard.

She came immediately bucking wildly underneath him her tight walls milking him as he continued to pound into her again and again as she thrust her hips up to meet his just as passionately.

" _Inuyashaaaaa_!" She shrieked, her nails raking down his back leaving a burning trail in his skin.

" _Fuck_!" He screamed as his body tightened all over and his cock pulsed as he released into her harder than he'd ever come before. His body spasmed from the strain then went limp, and he struggled to keep his weight from crushing her while he tried to recover.

He rested his forehead on the ground and tried to drag some air into his burning lungs.

His demon purred happily and he could hear Kagome's heavy pants turning in to soft mewls of pleasure, little after shocks causing her to tremble beneath him.

He delicately ran his hands over her body eliciting a soft gasp from his satiated Mate.

He rolled off of her pulling some furs over her to keep away the chill and he purred as his hand came to rest over her womb.

Kagome giggled and he grinned at her just as delighted as she was.

"I hope that puts to rest any doubts you had about how I feel about you and having a pup." He said casually.

She actually laughed and snuggled closer to him bringing her hand back to his ear to stroke him lovingly while she stared into his eyes.

"I'm sorry I doubted you, that was fun, if a little unexpected."

He blushed a little and leaned down to nuzzle her Mark.

"I couldn't help it I just realized you've been in heat since you got here and then you started talking about pups, I couldn't have stopped if I wanted to."

She just giggled and snuggled closer and they both drifted off into peaceful slumber unaware of the presence watching from the shadows.

Kage turned away with profound satisfaction. His wait was over. The miko had returned. After four long years of being able to do naught but study his prey from afar, his patience had finally paid off.

He feared he had been too late to enact his revenge when the final battle for the sacred jewel had begun, but now Inuyasha's Mate was here at last, rendering him even more vulnerable than he had been in her absence.

Even better the witless halfbreed had Marked her, completed a full bond, and going by the scent of her Heat and the activities they had just completed, she might already be breeding!

This was absolutely perfect, everything was falling into place. He just needed to wait to see if the stupid half breed's pup took and try and get the miko and the western lord's pretty little ward away from their protectors long enough to spirt them away. Vengeance would soon be his!

 **Author's Note:**

Welcome back I'm super excited about updating another chapter of MFE! Thanks to everyone who's read this far and a special thanks to those of you that reviewed and or added this story to your favorites list it really motivates me to put out my best work and update as fast as I can! Things are moving very fast for our beloved main characters and just as things are starting to work out, some asshole has it in for Inu and Sessy. Rin and Kags are being targeted because of it but why? can this Kage guy really be that stupid, or is he just that desperate? Find out next time on MFE! R&R my loves!


	5. Chapter 5

_**This chapter is dedicated to LucyDEU and arizonasiren! Thank you for taking the time to leave multiple reviews and I hope you and everyone who takes the time to read MFE enjoy the direction this story is going!**_

Rin squeezed her eyes shut tighter, trying to ignore the tickle on the back of her neck, and stay asleep just a little longer.

The ascent into consciousness could not be stopped however and she surrendered, albeit with very little grace.

"Mmmmmnnnnngh.." She protested, unfurling her hands above her head pointing her toes, and stretching as far as she could in both directions, squeaking a little as she extended her reach.

At the height of the stretch, she contracted her muscles, arching her back and delighting in the wondrous tightness of her waking muscles.

For the first time in a while she felt loose and relaxed, and not the least bit sore as she came out of her stretch.

It was as if she had been soaking in a hot spring all night instead of sleeping on her modest pallet.

"Nnyaaaaa" she sighed feeling lightheaded and bubbly.

Her favorite part of stretching like this was the giddy rush she felt when she released the stretch and just lay still with her eyes closed enjoying the sensations and putting off having to get up.

She didn't want to open her eyes.

The need to feel the peace and calm of her sleep for just a few more heartbeats was like that of a drowning mans need for air.

There were chores to do however, and Kaede would be lecturing her for hours if she didn't get started soon.

' _Not like she won't do that anyway, so why get up now?'_ she reasoned with herself.

She stubbornly kept her eyes closed and tried to force her way back into the lovely dream she had been having.

Sleep had almost claimed her again when a soft breeze kissed her face making her nearly purr with pleasure.

Even though sleep had eluded her once more, her lips twitched, a smile breaking through her drowsiness as she eased further into consciousness.

' _Wait_ ,' she though abruptly, her body tensing as rational thought set in.

She shouldn't be feeling a breeze.

' _Am I outside? what's going on?! Where-?'_

She tried to sit up to rub the sleep out of her eyes and take a look around, but she felt the resistance of something warm and heavy around her waist.

She tried to shift position and it tightened around her briefly before disappearing leaving her feeling cold and bereft. When she fell still the warm weight returned and tightened around her banishing all thought and making her forget her nervousness.

' _This is dangerous I need to figure out where I am'_

Fully awake now her eyes opened warily and scanned her surroundings trying to answer the questions bouncing around in her mind without panicking.

Her brow drew tight in utter confusion, her surroundings temporarily distracting her from identifying the source of the weight around her waist.

From what she could see she was in a forest, but this was not one she knew, and she had no memory of how she had gotten here.

What was truly strange was that despite her unfamiliar surroundings she felt perfectly safe and remarkably rejuvenated, as if she had rested for days.

' _Where_ am _I? How long have I been asleep? Wait…How did I get here?'_

Rin closed her eyes and tried to think back to before she fell asleep.

"I _must go places I cannot take a human like you"_

Tears threatened again at the memory of his rejection and she tried to recall what happened after she came undone at the river.

' _All I remember is that I couldn't breathe and everything got fuzzy and- Oh Kami-sama no…'_

Lord Sesshōmaru had appeared at the river after she had collapsed and the last thing she remembered was _him_ carrying her to the village, and a silver haired Kagome trying to calm her.

' _This cant be happening!'_

Heat flushed through her body and her chest tightened painfully.

' _Weak, worthless, useless_ _ **pathetic**_ _human.'_ She berated herself, ' _how could I have let Lord Sesshōmaru see me like that?'_

She blinked the sting out of her eyes and tried to ignore the remembered shame of the weakness she had shown in front of her Lord.

Maybe he had asked someone in the village to take her off his hands, and they had brought her to this forest so she could never find her way home.

The world spun in front of her eyes even though she was lying down.

' _It's over,'_

If he had thought her a helpless human before, he must truly be disgusted with her now.

' _How am I ever going to face him again, Has he left the village already? I didn't get to say goodbye-Will he ever come back for me? Where did he-'_

"What is troubling you Rin?" The question was quiet, as if the speaker wasn't sure if she were truly awake, or didn't want to startle her.

She jumped anyway, the sound of the low familiar voice so close to her startling her out of her skin.

The weight around her lifted as she flinched and she rolled over quickly to confirm her crazy suspicion that _Sesshōmaru_ was the one beside her.

To her complete shock she found herself face to face with the daiyoukai.

He was less than a breath away, and more beautiful and dangerous than any creature she had ever seen.

Even in total stillness he was terrifying, his deadliness a tangible aura that called to her like a moth to a flame.

Any other creature would have panicked to be so close to the great demon, but for her, as soon as she laid eyes on him relief coursed through her.

His voice and presence instantly soothing and relaxing her into a state of calm and euphoric submission.

' _He's still here'_ was all she could think clearly, and then her mind went blissfully blank as she melted under his fierce gaze.

His amber eyes glowed with the intensity of his focus and her thoughts instantly became as scattered as the seeds of a dandelion in a spring breeze as he raised one silver brow.

"Rin."

' _Oh Kami I was just staring at him wasn't I? He asked a question didn't he?_

He growled low, a sound of forbearance she never would have heard, were she not lying so close to him.

Clearly he was loosing patience with her stunned silence.

' _Pull it together Rin!'_

She mustered her courage and since she couldn't remember the first question she responded to the call of her name.

"Yes My Lord?" Her reply was a husky whisper, breathy and almost rough.

' _Kami_ _ **please**_ _don't let me just stare at him like an idiot this time'_ she prayed desperately. If she hadn't been staring at him so intently, she might have missed his response.

He blinked and seemed to hold his breath, his body seeming unnaturally still.

She knew that reaction, though it was rare. Something she said, or more likely the _way_ she had said it, had caught him off guard.

He was rarely nonplussed and she was just as surprised as he seemed to be, though he recovered quickly as if nothing had happened.

"What is troubling you Rin?" He asked steadily, uncharacteristically repeating himself without a reprimand for the inconvenience.

She didn't know what to be more confused about, the question, his odd mood, or that fact that the weight she had felt was in fact his arm!

' _What is he talking about though? I feel fine, am I hurt?_ she did a quick body check.

As far as she could tell she was not injured or particularly hungry, so she wasn't sure what he was referring to.

' _Kami I can't think at all with him so close to me!'_ she thought, but she ached at the though of him pulling away.

Other than her scrambled thoughts and personal insecurities, she was perfectly fine, but she doubted he would want to be bothered with her trivial human emotions even if she could put them into words.

No she couldn't tell him any of that nonsense, even _she_ could barely stand it.

She wracked her mind for something to say to him that didn't make her look like an even bigger idiot.

"Nothing's troubling me my Lord." She managed to murmur at last, deciding it was best to try to dismiss his concern, rather than trouble _him_ with her insecurities.

It was all stupid anyway, she always felt ridiculous for letting herself get so worked up over him.

He was here now and she needed to enjoy that while it lasted.

She stared at him blankly and within moments she was losing herself in his eyes again.

They were like glowing pools of warm honey that drove away all the coldness in her soul, and she imagined him pressing his lips to her forehead maybe her cheek-

She was pulled out of her daydreaming when he growled, his face becoming hard, his warm eyes turning shockingly cold and angry.

"Do not lie to _me_ Rin, I can smell both your discomfort and your deception. First you _run_ from me, and now you are trying to _hide_ something from me!" he snarled.

He reached up and despite his anger, he lightly brushed her bangs from her eyes giving her a clear view of his face, or was it the other way around?

She was willing to bet he didn't know that she could see his confusion through the hard mask he tried to keep in place at all times.

If he did, he would have turned away to compose himself before he continued to admonish her.

His voice was still a low angry growl.

"Last night you ran from me, only for me to find you incapacitated and choking, as if suffocated by some hand I could not see."

His eyes clouded with frustration and worry, but his voice softened as he resumed his recount of the events of the previous night.

"When I brought you to Kagome, the dark aroma of a winter storm clouded your naturally scintillating scent. The _same_ icy smell enveloped you when you awoke. I am not a fool. Something was _very_ wrong then and you cannot pretend as if _nothing_ is wrong now." He glared at her as if daring her to deny it.

At first she could only stare, as it was the most that he had ever spoken to her, and he had certainly never been so angry with her before.

' _Scintillating? Wait- Am I still dreaming?_ '

She hoped not, but everything seemed so odd, especially Sesshōmaru's demeanor.

Dream or not she wanted to please him and as odd as it seemed, he wanted to know what was upsetting her. Thoroughly embarrassed she dropped her eyes and whispered,

"I did not mean any deceit My Lord, I know I could never fool you, I simply forgot what was on my mind before I saw you lying next to me." She blushed. "To be honest with you, I _have_ no troubles so long as you are with me."

She looked up at him, sure that the heat in her face was going to catch something on fire.

His eyes widened slightly, his face softening so subtly she thought at first that she must have imagined it, but she ducked her head once more scared of what he would see in her eyes.

When she did not look up again he pressed in a gentler tone,

"Then why did you run from me Rin?"

His voice was not his usual demand when he sought the answer to a question, he seemed confused, almost hurt, and it dawned on her that it was the first time she _had_ ever run from him.

In horror she realized she had to explain what she had been thinking when she ran, even if he found her revolting and she died of humiliation, she couldn't stand the slight hint of hurt in his eyes.

"I wasn't running from _you_ exactly, it's just- when you said I could not rejoin you on your travels because you could not take a human where you were going I was-"

' _Heartbroken_ ' she admitted to herself.

"Well, I was sad, I miss traveling with you. I miss being _near_ you _, knowing_ you're ok."

Her gaze dropped and so did her voice, though she knew he could still hear her. "I know I am just a weak human, but to not be with you over something I cannot change, well- I didn't want you to see how much it hurt, I do not wish to be a burden or a nuisance to you. But I know I want to be with you more than you will ever want to be with me."

' _There, total honesty.'_

He was quiet for a while which wasn't unusual but it made her nervous when she was this close to him.

"Rin." He chided softly making her flinch.

She knew better than to think her admission had not revealed far too much about her true feelings than she had intended.

She kept her gaze lowered utterly unable to meet his eyes.

"Rin," he stated again more firmly. "Look at me Rin."

Unconsciously her eyes lifted unable to resist the direct order.

What she saw took her breath away.

Such tenderness, his eyes were so soft and warm she was sure he was unaware of how much emotion she could read from him.

The rest of his face remained hard and impassive as if he were trying to hide the depth of his emotions.

"Would I ever do something I did not wish to do?"

The question seemed odd to her but there was only one answer and she gave it immediately.

"No my Lord."

"Would I ever tolerate anything I find to be burdensome or irritating?"

She smiled playfully warmed and encouraged by his golden gaze.

"Other than Jaken my Lord?"

To her complete amazement he chuckled softly, and pulled her into his arms once more.

"He has kept you from harm in my absence and served me faithfully for many years, it has earned him some leniency." He cupped her face and a memory crashed into her triggered by his gentle touch.

 _Blackness fading into piercing light, numbness replaced with painful tingling, a sense that this had happened before, breath shooting violently into her lungs, and a hand tenderly cupping her face-_

She broke away from the memory and met his gaze with watery eyes.

"So aside from my loyal vassal have you ever known me to tolerate that which annoys me?"

"No my Lord."

"I do not relish seeing your tears Rin, but I do not wish for you to hide them from me either. I would not be here now if I did not want to be. You could never be a burden, you are- precious to me."

He looked strained.

"Even among my court there are those who would use you against me, like Naraku did. If I were to selfishly keep you beside me, they would see you as a weakness to be exploited. All I want is to keep you safe, even if I must stay away from you to do so."

Damn her, but she burst into tears again.

' _I_ _ **have**_ _to be dreaming… or dead, probably dead, this is way too good to be a dream. I must have died by the river, maybe I fell in._ '

It was so obvious now that she thought about it.

Sesshōmaru never lay next to her, never held her or tenderly brushed away her hair, he never asked her what was troubling her, never explained himself, and he never _ever_ alluded to having feelings for her.

There was no way this was real and yet it was everything she wanted, no needed to hear and it was breaking her heart to hear it.

' _How could the Kami be so cruel_?'

She started to shake uncontrollably and she held herself tightly to control the tremors in her body, but it was as earlier, she could not get a proper breath, and the fear that she was going to die of suffocation began to rise once more.

' _Wait,_ _so I'm alive then?'_ she managed to wonder throughthe spiraling panic.

Nothing made sense, maybe she had finally lost her mind.

Insanity might explain it, maybe she was hallucinating the whole thing.

Just as her vision began to blur from more than tears, strong arms embraced her.

As they pulled her close, the most beautiful sound she had ever heard vibrated around her.

It was so loud it drowned out the wrenching sounds of her choked sobs, grounding her.

She relaxed instantly and suddenly she could draw air into her lungs again.

They burned with the sudden rush of air, and Rin struggled to steady her breathing.

Her body seemed to override her mind even as it took her a while to process what was going on.

She was definitely being held, her vision had blurred from the lack of air but it was clearing now.

Her breathing began to return to a controlled rhythm and she concentrated on making sense of her surroundings.

She was still in that unfamiliar clearing, it was still dark, and she was still being held.

Her back was so tight against a broad chest that she could feel the low vibrations of that beautiful purr echoing throughout her entire body.

Familiar clawed hands stroked her face and hair and the source of the purr was the face buried in the crook of her neck. Long silver hair flowed over her shoulder like a shimmering waterfall-

' _Sesshōmaru_!'

Therewas no doubt he was here, that he was in fact holding her, and the sounds enveloping her were easing her like a long soak in the hot spring and a good nights rest.

' _Not a dream? But then-'_

Sesshōmaru clutched Rin to his chest the instant he smelled the terror saturating the air. It smelled like snow and rain and frosted wind all at once, searing his nostrils with its dark icy scent. He hated it, and was completely at a loss for what to do. Not a state of mind he was familiar, or comfortable with.

She was shaking uncontrollably from the sobs wracking her body and reeking of panic as she had by the river.

' _What the hell?!_ ' his eyes narrowed as he studied her pinched features forced to grit his teeth against the rise of his youki as his demon howled in frustration.

' _That damn Miko!'_

She had said Rin needed to hear what he had said about her tears, but now she knew and she was right back to this. Why had he bothered to follow her advice?

' _Maybe I said too much?'_ he thought _._ She had only told him to tell her she didn't need to be ashamed to cry in front of him, and in a way he had gotten what he asked for. She was shamelessly crying in front of him and he felt like shit. Perfect.

He had never been so confused.

Finding his Mating Call for a young human, had been surprise enough.

He had believed he would never find a Mate.

He had never showed interest in females, and he would have killed any one who dared suggest he would have the same odd trait as his father and bond with a human.

Then he had saved her on a whim after she was attacked by wolves and allowed her to travel with him, only for her to be used against him by Naraku.

He had almost been able to ignore how much she meant to him until she died in the underworld and he had known greater despair than he had ever felt before.

He thought he could distance himself from her and things would return to normal but he was never able to stay away for long. He could not deny the truth any longer after last night, he could smell the same pheromones on his skin that Inuyasha was giving off after mating with Kagome, though Inuyasha's were stronger now that he and Kagome were fully bonded and his Mate was in heat. Which reminded him-

' _Mate'_ He Called, But it came out more of a whine and he was glad she could not hear the distinction.

' _Don't cry'_ he pleaded but she couldn't understand and he gave in to his instinct to use his Mating Call as Kagome had suggested the night before.

The Song of his Mating Call was beautiful even to him and revealed more about his true feelings than he could have voiced any other way.

There was fear and loss and hope, fierce devotion and protectiveness, and to his complete shock a piercing _desire_ he had been ignoring thus far.

Impossible now after enduring the torment of lying with her while she lay unconscious.

With her pressed against him he was able to fully see the changes her body was going through.

The kimonos he had been bringing her did nothing to hide her feminine curves, and the noises she made as she awoke were enough to rouse a part of _him_ he had never before been affected by.

Was that why he had opened himself to her?

With his demon ready to claim her it had seemed like the proper course of action before the hormones got too intense and the instinct to mark her overcame rational thought.

He had thought it would appease them both to tell her at least a fraction of what she meant to him, but he had revealed himself only for her to burst into heartbroken sobs.

' _What did I say_ _ **this**_ _time? Is it this peeamessing illness Kagome spoke of?_

He knew he was not experienced, with females, of _any_ kind be they human or youkai, but this couldn't be the reaction of a female who found his confession agreeable.

He had meant to reassure her that what he felt for her was the farthest thing from disgust, but _this_ he had not anticipated.

He had no idea what she was thinking, why she was crying, or what he could do to ease her.

Calling to her seemed to be working though, so he just held her close and stroked her hair and the lines of her face, brushing away her tears as he Sang to her.

As she began to calm so did he, his Call fading to a soft purr and his caresses becoming lazy strokes just for the sake of touching her.

It felt too easy to hold the tiny human, handling her with care as instinctual and imperative as drawing breath.

"I thought it had been a dream." She rasped.

He froze, startled by her sudden answer to his unspoken questions.

"You dream of such things?"

She shook her head turning in his arms to meet his eyes, hers were red and watery making the brown seem somehow deeper and the emotion so strong that he was lost in them as she spoke.

"Things that seem too good to be true, usually are. I would not be surprised that I had finally died for good and would spend the rest of eternity tormented by visions of how my life could have been if I had just told you how I felt."

He felt his youki roil and his eyes flash crimson at the thought of her life ending for good, but a strange warmth flooded him at her words.

It was curiosity and something close to hope that calmed him enough to capture her face so she could not look away and growl,

"And how _do_ you feel, Rin?"

Her eyes met his and seemed to glow, not a hint of fear or deceit,

"I feel like the sun shines on everyone else but me when you are away. Like I can take on a pack of wolves, or an _army_ of bandits myself when You are beside me. I feel hot when our gazes meet and you don't turn away, and lost in an endless winter when I lay down to sleep without you near. I dream of wolves and demons chasing me, and I can still smell the rotting stench of death that clung to my kimono after you came for me in the underworld, but I always wake knowing _you_ were the one who saved me. You are the one who will _always_ save me, and the only one I _want_ to save me. No human man could ever keep me safe from the things that you have. But most of all, I could never feel for a human what I feel for you, I can't. Because I love _you_ with everything that I am."

He completely melted, every fiber of his being vibrating with pleasure, his demon howled with triumph and he didn't even fight the overwhelming swirl of energy as his Youki rose to the surface on the tail of a single all consuming thought,

' _ **MINE**_!'

His transformation was like none he had ever experienced before.

His emotions, usually calm and deadly, were chaotic and frenzied.

Not with malice, but with a maelstrom of tenderness, devotion, and protectiveness.

He was consumed by an undeniable _NEED_ to present himself as strong enough to protect her. That need helped him fight the instinct to mark her as his own right here and now.

The pulsing of his demonic energy whipped the air around them into a violent storm and he somehow had the foresight to gently push Rin aside as he struggled to gain control of the transformation.

Heat tore his skin apart and his fangs punched into his mouth so viciously they nearly drew blood.

His form was lost to the swirling youki and all he could feel was the pulsing of his demon blood until the tide finally subsided and his vision cleared. Glancing down he was shocked once more to find his height and stature had changed, he was now easily as large as his father!

He panicked a little seeing the debris beneath him, but as he lowered himself to the ground he found her huddled safe beneath the shelter of one of his massive claws.

Destruction over she brazenly began climbing one of his toes using his fur to pull herself on top of his left paw until she was the closest she could come to being eye level with him in this form.

He watched her determination with calm fascination and grinned stupidly when she faced him because he knew she couldn't see it.

How had she ever thought herself cowardly or weak? She just climbed the fur of a deadly demon the size of a small mountain and was looking at _him_ with tenderness and concern.

"Are you alright My Lord?"

He couldn't help it, he laughed, the sound coming out as a deep rumble that made the ground tremble.

The absurdity of the question and politeness with which she asked it catching him by surprise.

' _ **That you would ask such a thing at all in this moment is reason enough to adore you,'**_ he thought.

But when her eyes widened and brimmed with tears that smelled like sweet wild flowers instead of frost he realized with as much shock as her that she had heard him.

The thought may not have been private, but at least she couldn't see his flush through his fur.

He had never been able to speak in his demon form before, and had he had a choice in the matter, this would not have been how he would have chosen to discover the ability.

He closed his eyes centering himself and drawing his youki back into his core.

Energy swirled around them both as he returned to his alternate form careful not to drop Rin as he transformed.

When he returned to his usual form he found Rin standing tucked into his side looking up at him, tears still streaming down her face.

"I was not aware that you would hear me in that form, I meant what I said but it's more than that, I'm just not sure how to explain it to a human."

"Perhaps you should instead explain to her how you've doomed her to die _Lord_ Sesshōmaru." A disembodied voice he had all but forgotten jeered from the shadows of the trees.

A haunting laugh echoed through the branches and Sesshōmaru immediately drew Bakusaiga with one hand and held Rin closer with the other, nothing good could come from the appearance of this creature from the past.

"Those are not words you should utter so carelessly before an Inu _daiyoukai_ and his _**Mate**_ Kageyama, have you become so bored of living you dare to threaten what is mine?" His words were dark and laced with malice that merely seemed to encourage the Shade.

"I can _smell_ the meido on her Sesshōmaru, why don't you tell her where your father got the stone that saved her life _Pup_? Tell her how many died so that she could live." A form appeared out of the shadows seeming to be made of shadow himself. Tall and powerfully built he stood unarmed with nothing but living darkness clothing his body.

The only color in the blackness, his azure eyes and flame red hair that fell to his waist, even tied back as Sesshōmaru's father's had been.

"Tell her why Tōga butchered my entire family, Sesshōmaru." He sneered "Just how far _will_ a bonded male go to protect his Mate?"

Sesshōmaru swallowed his outraged hiss.

"Are you looking for a more _personal_ demonstration Kage or would you like to pick up where we left off, with you _running_ while you still draw breath?" He said casually.

"You know exactly how personal things are Sesshōmaru. Our battle wasn't over two hundred and fifty years ago and it's not over now, in fact things are _just starting_ to get interesting." The Shade drawled.

His eyes settled on Rin and and his sneer twisted into a snarl, the hatred in his eyes making Sesshōmaru's blood run cold.

' _DANGER! KILL! PROTECT MATE!'_

He didn't fight his instincts, the controlled emotionless mask he always wore slipping into a violent promise of death.

His could feel a tightness in his eyes as the irises darkened to an electric blue the burning that followed was the whites being consumed with a blood red glow. His fangs elongated and he heard a faint sizzling sound as the venom flooding his mouth dripped from his fangs and ate away at the forest floor.

His muscles tightened, but he held himself on the brink of that maelstrom that initiated his transition into his true form. He couldn't allow himself to transform fully, Rin would be vulnerable in the seconds he was lost to the youki and Kage would take advantage of that before he would have a chance to react.

He could feel her trembling form tight against his back and the warmth of her body pressed against his own with the scent of her fear saturating the air, gave him the strength to resist the call of his demon blood.

Kage watched him with surprised interest clear on his face, obviously he had been counting on Sesshōmaru's transformation to turn things in his favor, as Sesshōmaru had predicted.

Sesshōmaru raised Bakusaiga with one arm drawing Tensaiga with the other his glowing eyes daring the unarmed shadow to make a move.

" _ **What do you stand to gain by challenging me after all these years? If death is what you seek I can oblige you Kageyama.**_ _ **"**_ Sesshōmaru growled with the deep voice of his demon.

"I have nothing left to loose _pup_ , unlike _you._ as such I stand to gain _everything_. Challenge? No, I'm going to _destroy_ you. You, your half breed brother and everyone you both care about, were already dead the moment your family destroyed mine." With that ominous statement he vanished, disappearing into the shadows once more.

Sheathing his blades he turned back to Rin his demon senses telling him she was frightened, but not of him, despite his still partial transformation.

To his surprise and pleasure she leapt into his arms and wrapped her delicate body around him with more strength than he thought she possessed.

He could only guess what she was thinking but they needed to get back to the village immediately.

If Kage was stupid enough to try seeking revenge on him and Inuyasha through their Mates, he and his brother would bury the sorry bastard so deep in the underworld the Devil himself wouldn't dare to venture there, and that was _after_ they took turns tearing him apart in strips.

Inuyasha needed to know what was going on.

Without a word he clutched Rin tighter to his chest and launched them into the air, their forms condensing into no more than a ball of light and shooting off into the direction of the village.

' _I will protect you Rin, I swear it.'_ he vowed.

First he needed to get to the village and warn Inuyasha about the mess their Father had gotten them into almost three hundred years ago.

He was going to need his brothers help defending against this foe if he was going to keep Rin safe.

Their adversary was a Shade, a demon born from the places where shadows are so deep light has not touched them for millennia.

From what he had learned they were able to pass in and out of the underworld at will, and travel unseen over vast distances by passing through the land of shadows that borders this world and the next.

Fortunately the distance remained the same. Sesshōmaru was not unfamiliar with travel in the land of shadows, having been there himself with the help of the Shade that had allied with his Father.

Kageyama had escaped them by slaughtering his fellow Shade and fleeing into the land of shadows, leaving Sesshōmaru and his father with no way to pursue him.

He was likely the last of his kind, but that made very little difference.

The threat he posed, even if he was working alone, was very real, and Sesshōmaru would see to it that he was reunited with his fallen people before this scheme he was devising could be implemented.

What ever it was, it was over two hundred years in the making and Shades were dangerous enough _without_ centuries to plan their revenge.

They needed to be ready for anything and they needed to be ready for it yesterday.

Inuyasha milled about the cave, trying not to wake Kagome.

The weakening fire had woken him and an instinct to keep Kagome as comfortable as possible had him jumping up to stoke the fire and now he was moving from task to task trying to improve the state of his modest home.

' _If you can call this a home, compared to what she's used to back in her time this is just- well, a cave.'_

The fire was now roaring and the furs that were not regularly used had been shaken out and arranged to cover every inch of cold stone she might have to walk on.

Unable, or rather, unwilling to leave her unguarded to hunt, he checked what stores of food he had on hand.

There were some dried meats and a variety of fruits he would let her have first pick of and then maybe they could go hunting together.

' _She would probably prefer heading to the village and eating with Kaede or Sango, I don't think hunting is something she's really ready for.'_

He hoped she'd pick Sango's, he still wasn't happy with the elderly priestess and her reaction to their bonding, but she was coming from a place of genuine concern even if it was unnecessary since the deed had already been done.

' _Doesn't mean I'm ready to get stuck eating with her just yet.'_ He thought darkly.

It was going to take at least more than a single night away from the old hag to cool off, he knew that much.

He didn't care if he was being unreasonable, Bonding with Kagome hadn't been a mistake. It had been the best thing he'd ever done and if anyone thought less of them for it they could go to hell.

Looking over at Kagome's sleeping form he wondered what she was dreaming of.

Every dream he hadn't even dared to hope for she had made a reality for him and he felt compelled to return the favor, but he didn't know where to start.

She was raised human, so perhaps Sango could give him some insight or maybe even do some digging for him.

She was always better at getting Kagome to talk about herself than he was.

He had spied on enough of their trips to the hot springs to know the crafty demon slayer could get the young Miko to tell her anything she wanted to know.

' _Shit the things I could learn listening in on a single bath-'_

The temptation was too irresistible, and he knew Sango wouldn't be able to turn down the opportunity to pry either.

He'd find a way to get Sango to invite Kagome to the hot springs when they returned to the village tomorrow, and he had no doubt her natural curiosity would get him something to go on.

He was still anxious about Kagome returning to that hot spring without him, but he would be close enough to hear everything and Sango would be with her in the short time he'd give them to feel like they were alone and safe to discuss _'personal'_ things.

He knew Sango could keep her safe, there was very little Sango would need Inuyasha's help dealing with now that Naraku was dead, and Kagome was no longer a weak nearly defenseless human.

Plan firmly in place he checked the fire once more before returning to his pallet.

He curled up next to Kagome pulling her into his arms without waking her, watching her ears flick back and forth unconsciously.

' _Mine can_ _ **not**_ _be that cute, and I know for a_ _ **fact**_ _hers are softer'_

Unable to resist he reached up and stroked the fuzzy appendages with the back of his fingers. Softly enough to avoid waking her but with enough pressure that they registered his touch, twitching delicately against his hand.

' _That is fucking adorable, shit I could do this for hours.'_

After all the stress and _activities_ of the day he _should_ be exhausted, but he felt energized and _alive_ in a way he hadn't known for years.

' _How does she do this to me? Just having her near me makes me feel stronger, just like when we were searching for the jewel shards. This is different though, if she left now-'_

He stopped the thought before he could even finish forming it completely. The very _idea_ of the idea making him nearly loose it. He didn't need to entertain thoughts of her leaving to know it would destroy him to loose her again.

He didn't have to force himself to think of the one thing that could distract him from such morbid thoughts. She was still naked against him and her scent was even stronger than before, she was definitely in heat.

' _Maybe her fertile time was just starting when she got here and that's why I didn't notice.'_ He thought.

She _was_ a half demon now and humans didn't actually go into heat the way demons and other animals do.

He could tell when she was fertile before her change but this was different.

' _It's been so long I didn't notice how strong her scent was at first, but it's getting stronger, especially since we completed the bond.'_

With her in heat his body was raging with instinct, he'd never felt so volatile and dangerous in his life, and in about a fortnight he'd know for sure if she were pregnant or not.

He was thrilled and terrified at the same time, he had never known his father and he had never _wanted_ to know him more than he did now.

Myōga said he was strong and that he had loved his mother enough that he died to save her so she could escape with him as a baby, but that was all he knew about him.

After two centuries of life he had no idea what a father was supposed to be like.

' _Well there's Miroku but he's as clueless as I am'_

The uncertainty was the worst part, but he had Kagome and she wouldn't let him do anything stupid even if she couldn't make him 'sit' anymore now that she had removed his subjugation beads.

Still, she wasn't about to let him act like an idiot with their pup.

And then there was Shippou, in Kagome's absence he had become like a father to the kit, hopefully it wouldn't be much harder than raising the bratty fox.

"What are you thinking about?"

Kagome's quiet voice was loud in the stillness of the cave, and he felt his face heat getting caught worrying over raising a pup they weren't even sure she would have yet.

He opened his eyes to find soft morning sunlight creeping into the cave.

"You hungry?"he asked instead of answering her question. "I have some dried meat and some stuff I found in the area but we can go to the village for something more filling if you'd like."

She looked like she was about to press but he had something he knew she wouldn't be able to resist.

He got up and went to the back of the cave where he had stashed something he had never meant to pull out again.

"Here." He said holding up the big yellow bag. "I think there's some clothes in this."

"My backpack!" She cheered "I forgot it got left behind when the well closed!" He handed it to her glad to make her happy as well as change the subject, but then her nose twitched and an odd look came over her.

"It smells like you." It wasn't a question and he scrambled mentally to explain away the one detail about the bag he hadn't thought she would notice.

"Well yeah it's been here in my cave for the last three years" he explained casually.

The excuse was a bad one and she called him on it like he knew she would before he said it.

"Inuyasha-" her voice broke and her eyes misted over as she held the bag to her chest much the same as he had for the first year-ok two years, that she had been gone.

He looked away folding his arms across his chest and tucking his hands into the sleeves of his suikan.

"I slept with it until I couldn't smell you anymore ok? I- just needed to-pretend I guess. Trick myself that you weren't really gone or something I don't know. I had to put it away after your scent was gone though, it-hurt to much to look at it and not be able to smell you."

He plopped down on the ground still not looking at her.

He was pouting and he knew it was obvious, damn it, this was supposed to be a _distraction_ from the revealing and embarrassing details about himself.

This _was_ easier to talk about though, because _this_ pain was in the past, and he didn't mind her knowing how much he missed her even if it _was_ kind of pathetic.

Talking about the future and his worries about the pup she might be carrying only made _those_ worries seem bigger and more intimidating.

She set the bag aside and he watched as she crawled over to him, her head was down hiding her face and her silver hair formed a curtain around her naked body as she moved.

She came to a stop in front of him and kissed him softly on the cheek.

"Thank you for saving it for me, I'll never stop trying to make it up to you for staying away so long."

That caught him off guard and he cupped her face gently, she was crying and he tried to reassure her.

"Kagome, you don't have anything to make up for, I missed you, and I didn't handle it well, but you're back now and that's all that matters to me. The rest is in the past."

That didn't stop the flow of tears streaming out of her eyes, so he wiped them away gently not sure what to say.

Kagome was the only person who had shed tears for him since his mother died, but as sweet as it was, it reminded him of the pain he did everything he could to forget, like he was feeling it for the first time.

"I didn't handle it well either," she said quietly. "That's why my brother and his friends were so protective of me, they saw what I was like after you saved me and the Well took you away. Everyone was worried about me, but I never told anyone what happened when I was taken by the jewel, they just knew I reacted badly to Hojo trying to court me, and I wasn't always sure if I was dreaming or not. I'm still not completely over the way it messed with my mind." Her tears slowed but her eyes grew haunted instead of sad.

He wasn't either, the way the demons of the jewel had taunted him with her demise if she dared wish to see him, cursed his dreams almost as often as fantasies of her return.

At the time, _and_ in his dreams, they warned him how scared she was and how desperately she needed him, but he'd never had the chance to ask her what had happened while he searched for her.

"I was so scared you were going to make that wish," he said just as softly. "I knew the jewel was trying to trick you into wishing to be saved, but I didn't know what it was doing to you, when I found out we had been gone for three _days_ my mind went crazy with theories about what you could have been going through while I wasted time fighting the demons trapped in the jewel. It killed me that I couldn't get back through the well to make sure you were really ok. I couldn't stop thinking that if I could just _see_ you, I'd know you were alright, that I really _had_ gotten you out. Honestly I wasn't sure it had really happened."

' _Or that we had actually kissed'_ he added to himself. _That_ had tormented him just as much as not being sure she was safe.

"For a long time neither was I, for most of the time the jewel had me trapped me in an illusion. I was back to living my normal life, but it was as if I had never gone through the well. I was going to school, worrying about taking exams, but then going to high school, even dating Hojo, which is why it freaked me out when he kept pushing me to go out with him afterwards."

His chest vibrated with a low menacing growl and his gums itched as his fangs throbbed, aching to sink in to the fuckers flesh and rip him limb from limb.

He remembered what _dating_ and _going out_ meant and his possessive instincts didn't care that it was just an illusion.

The story she had told Miroku and Sango took on a whole new meaning and launched him into an entirely different level of fury.

His youki flared so violently their hair was whipped about like they were in the middle of a storm and the air crackled with unrestrained energy.

"That's where it went wrong though," she said in a reassuring tone, continuing despite his unexpected outburst. "I could tell it wasn't right. Something in my heart was _sure_ I loved someone else, I felt horrible _all_ the _time,_ like I was betraying someone,and I knew something important was missing."

She touched his face tracing the jagged purple marks that appeared when his demon blood was overpowering the human. He was all but fully transformed and so consumed with rage even her touch wasn't enough to calm him.

Why did even the _mention_ of her with another man affect him like this?

She wasn't fazed in the least still talking as if he wasn't about to totally lose it.

"No matter how perfect the illusion of my life was, how much I could feel, taste, and smell, I knew _you_ were missing and that I couldn't live without you. Even when I couldn't remember ever meeting you, and when I finally _did_ remember you, it broke the spell."

His heart pounded and his head spun, but it was the burning in his chest that made him realize he had stopped breathing even to growl.

He was torn between feeling touched and needing to kill something, so he buried his face in her hair and forced himself to inhale slowly.

He concentrated on her scent reminding himself she was here, safe, _his,_ and as awful as the memories were, they were just that, memories.

She wasn't taken by another male and she didn't _want_ to be, it was just an illusion. An illusion she hadn't fallen for because _he_ wasn't there.

' _Shit'_

He was still furious, mostly because there was nothing he could do, and all he could think was that if it was the last thing he did he would help her erase those terrible memories as if they had never been, and _probably_ still kill Akitoki if he ever saw the sniveling bastard again.

Gradually the bloodlust faded and he could feel the warmth of her arms around him.

Her fingers were playing with his hair trying to sooth him and he realized he was gripping her shoulders tight enough that it probably hurt. He relaxed his grip but he didn't pull away.

"Kagome- I- I'm sorry, I'm just so damn sorry, for everything. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you, that I didn't stop the jewel from taking you in the first place, that I didn't get there sooner- _fuck!"_

He pulled her into his arms crushing her against his chest.

"I've needed to say that for so long, almost as much as I needed you to know how much I love you."

She clutched his robe and buried her face in his chest but he didn't miss the flowery scent of her tears, or the warm wetness when a few of them slipped past his collar.

"I never resented you Inuyasha." She choked, "There's nothing to forgive. My world just isn't complete without you and now that I'm with you I finally feel like I can start living. Like life is finally _worth_ living." She looked up at him, her warm honey eyes shining with tears and total adoration. She was breathtaking and her words were everything he needed to hear.

It was a little disorienting to go from one extreme emotion to the other so quickly, but she had always had that effect on him. He was glad She didn't resent him for what happened but that didn't mean he could forgive himself for not being there for her when she needed him.

He was here now though and he was determined to make sure she never doubted how grateful he was to have her as his Mate.

"It's the same for me. Everyone just continued on, even though they were sad and they all missed you, life kept going for them, like _I_ was when my mother died. I was sad when I lost her and I thought that was as sad as I'd ever be, but when I thought I had lost _you?_ I felt like all the light and warmth in the world was gone. It was like I couldn't see anything even though my eyes were working, like I wasn't really alive even though I was upright and breathing. I never want to feel like that again."

"Well if _I_ have anything to say about it you never will, after all you've been through you deserve to be happy and I'm going to do everything in my power to make that happen!"

She looked so adorable, her hands still fisting his fire rat, eyes glowing with determination, and her ears twitching subconsciously at every sound.

He couldn't let himself think about how little _either_ of them had a say in what the future held for them but he had her now, and he would do everything in _his_ power to keep her.

"It feels weird to be grateful to Naraku." He mused.

"How do you mean?" She replied looking as confused as he felt.

"If he hadn't tricked me 'n Kikyo she wouldn't have sealed me to the tree and ordered the villagers to burn the jewel with her body. She would have wished for me to be human and I would have wasted my life with a woman who only loved half of me, if she loved me at all. You never would have been pulled into the well by a demon and I would never have met my soulmate."

She blushed but seemed to consider the truth of his statement.

"I see your point and I guess that's just how fate balances things. Naraku created a lot of misery that ruined countless lives, but that was necessary for our future to ever exist. Same with Sango, and Miroku. They wouldn't be where they are now without Naraku either. I wonder if they feel the same way you do." She frowned her eyes darkening with frustration and shook her head back and forth quickly as if to forcibly clear an unwanted thought. "I still wish you hadn't had to go through all that. I don't know how reincarnation works but whatever part of Kikyo's spirit allowed her to hurt you like that died with _her_."

She had a way of saying just the right thing and leaving him completely speechless.

He studied her face wishing there were a way he could tell her what she did to him. His demon purred in his mind approving of the way he was thinking of _showing_ her since the right words eluded him.

A strand of hair was caught on her lips and he brushed it out of her face dipping down to capture them in a soft kiss.

She returned it sweetly and then she surprised him by pushing against his chest until he was lying on the floor with her stretched out on top of him.

She didn't break the kiss while her hands splayed out stroking over his chest and shoulders, caressing his neck and sinking into his hair until her sharp claws found his scalp and scraped down his neck before sinking into his hair once more.

He gasped into her mouth and she took advantage of his parted lips, her tongue sliding in, dancing with his own and then pulling away with a tantalizing stroke against one of his fangs.

It must have given her an idea because she pulled back with a sly grin flashing her own fangs and licking her lips.

She bit her lip, soothed the bite with her tongue, and then slid it over one fang and then the other.

She was just teasing the points with the tip at first, then she bit down hard, piercing it with one fang deep enough to draw blood.

Without a moments hesitation she kissed him again, deep and hard coating his mouth with her essence.

"Mmngh!" He cried out arching against her.

' _Kami She's going to kill me, ohhhh fuck the_ _**taste**_ _!'_

His saliva healed the cut almost instantly but the flavor of her blood was still there and it nearly drove him mad.

Lust roared through his body and he kissed her harder thrusting into her mouth the way he wanted to penetrate her core.

He cupped her head with one hand and pulled her hips against his with the other letting her feel how much she was affecting him.

" _Unhhng Inuyasha!"_ she moaned her hips starting to push into him instinctively.

He was helpless to stop himself, between the taste of her blood, the smell of her need, and the sound of her wanton cries he was nothing but animal instinct.

He rolled them over without breaking the kiss and settled between her legs. He was utterly lost to her.

Drowning in sensation, and overwhelmed by timeless instinct, he could think of nothing but her. He kissed her harder grinding into her, the heat of her core stroking him and setting his blood on fire. It was heaven.

He felt tugging at his waist and was almost too far gone to realize Kagome was trying to take off his clothes. He lifted his hips to give her better access to the ties of his hakama and she made quick work of removing them.

The instant she freed him from the barrier that separated them he thrust into her burning core.

She was more than ready for him but she gasped at his powerful entry as she took every inch of him.

He would have stayed still and given her time to adjust to his invasion but it was her that moved first. Her face twisted with need and he thrust deeper watching her expression for the slightest hint of pain.

There was none, he just felt a delicious tightening and a rush of warmth as her body welcomed the change.

She was already so tight and wet he could barely think, but this was different from before, her body was straining growing tighter and wetter than he had ever felt and she was Calling for more.

Purely animal noises that only a canine could understand and it was the sexiest sounds he'd ever heard.

" _ **More. Need. Alpha. Take. More!**_ _"_ She yipped and whined at him

He felt himself responding more than he heard it, every inch of his body vibrating with power and need.

" _ **Mine! More! Mate! MINE!"**_ He growled back as he pounded into her.

He was close to the edge and far, far away from rational thought as he sank his teeth into his Mark and drank hard.

It was even better than the first time, and power crashed into him as hard as his orgasm.

He rode the waves driving himself deeper even as she screamed out her pleasure and need until tears poured down her face and still her hips rose to meet his and she pulsed around him milking him, his release seeming to go on as long as her core demanded.

At last they were both spent and he collapsed on top of her. Her legs were twitching and she whimpered with each delicate tremor, but not it seemed, from pain.

He grinned, he had never felt more masculine and powerful than he did right now.

' _So_ _ **this**_ _is a bitch in heat.'_ he mused. _'What was that rush of power when I bit her Mark? Did she feel it too? What should I say if she asks me about it?'_

It was way past time to find Myoga, preferably _before_ he was forced to consult Sesshōmaru.

He needed to know more about human and demon Matings and he didn't want to risk having to slaughter Sesshōmaru if he said something stupid about his Mate because he put off finding the old flea.

He didn't know how much Myoga could tell him but anything he could tell him would be better than having to ask Sesshōmaru.

"Mmmmnnnngnn that was amazing I can't believe I still can't move!" Kagome purred.

"Amazing doesn't even cover it."He said in agreement.

Her belly chose that moment to let them know she still hadn't eaten and he grinned at her as she flushed.

"When you're ready get dressed and we'll head over to Sango's, I'm sure they're expecting us anyway."

He gathered his own clothes dressing quickly and got to work putting out the fire, while she searched her bag for something to wear.

The embers were almost out anyway so he helped them along with a few handfuls of dirt. The smoke thinned out and then stopped all together. He held his hand over the ashes searching for any hot spots. Finding none he turned in time to see Kagome pulling a light blue skirt over some skimpy fabric as pink as her nipples and tight as a second skin.

' _Is_ _ **that**_ _what those are for? I'm glad she wasn't planning to wear those by themselves like I thought!'_

He had been through every item in the bag and the handful of tiny scraps of fabric had held her scent the longest. They had no practical use that he could determine by looking at them and he had been mortified and painfully aroused that she might have been planning to walk around in something even _shorter_ and revealing than her tiny skirts.

The mortification was gone but the arousal was more painful then ever knowing he would not only get to _see_ her in nothing but the scraps of fabric he would get to remove them.

' _Fuck.'_

She pulled a much darker blue top over her head and turned to him with a slight pout that didn't really look sad.

"I didn't realize how small I used to be, I can't even pretend to wear my old bras, I'll just have go without." She said with a small smile.

"Uh, what's a bra?" He asked.

"It's a kind of undergarment for women, we wear them in my time to cover our breasts."She explained holding up one of the odd shaped tops.

"Why? They just get in the way."

"Habit mostly, but also fashion. People try to make their breast look better by wearing a bra that gives them the shape they want, different bras shape you differently and some are really comfortable. This one is called a push up bra, it literally pushes your breasts up so they sit higher and look bigger. It's not one of the comfortable ones, especially now that it's too small for me." She tossed it back in the bag.

He went over to her and cupped one of her breasts, loving the way the soft mound overflowed his hand and her head kicked back with a low moan.

"I like your shape just fine. You're perfect and I wouldn't change a thing." He kissed her throat softly and growled "And it really does get in the way!" His hand moved to massage the other breast and rub circles around her now obviously tight nipple.

She laughed and arched into his palm, but reluctantly changed the subject before he forgot why they were getting dressed in the first place.

"I agree, shall we head to the village then? I'm really starting to get hungry."

"Sure, let's hurry Sango will be up by now and the kit will have his hands full trying to watch the kids so she can cook."

" _Pup."_ She purred affectionately.

Clearly she felt as strongly about Shippo as _he_ did.

' _He's ours, we found him and made him part of our pack, even if we have pups of our own he will always be our first child.'_ Not only had Shippo been the first to join their pack, he had been the first full fledge demon to acknowledge Inuyasha. Inuyasha's bond with him had only grown stronger while Kagome was away.

Which was mostly due to Kagome not being there to interfere with him asserting himself as Alpha and punishing the kit for defying him.

Shippo knew his place now, and he was happier for it.

Eventually Kagome would see that, she was already starting to respond to her own Inu instincts like she was born with them.

It was almost frightening how naturally it came to her, and he hoped Myoga would have some answers.

He pushed the thoughts out of his mind as they leapt from their cave into the trees and headed to the village for breakfast.

Sesshōmaru set them down just outside the village he scented the air finding no trace of Kageyama this close to the village and confirming that Inuyasha and Kagome had not yet returned.

At the moment he was both relieved and anxious about neither being near by.

He was burning for a fight, and was as of yet, unprepared to be alone with Rin so soon after revealing far more than he had intended thanks to Kageyama's appearance.

His head was spinning with all the information she had been given in that short conversation, and going by the look on her face, so was Rin's.

' _Comfort Mate'_ his instinct whispered to him.

He hadn't released her yet so pulling her into his lap as he settled against a tree on the forests edge was just a matter of sitting down.

Once settled she looked up at him her eyes wide but hardly childlike.

Her eyes confirmed she had missed nothing even if she didn't understand.

"Ask." He said.

"My Lord?" She seemed confused.

"I do not know where to begin, so ask me what you want to know first." He clarified.

She was speechless for a moment, but she looked him in the eyes with such tenderness and longing he couldn't breathe.

"Mates?" Was all she could manage.

She seemed hopeful and confused, so he pulled her into his nape where the scent would be strongest to her. He tensed, his instincts roaring for her to bite him, even though he had yet to Mark her himself.

"Do you smell that?" He said through his teeth.

She snuffled against his throat and gasped, releasing the breath with a soft moan.

' _Fates save me this is a terrible idea, couldn't I have just explained it to her?'_

His body heated, youki rising but not like when he was transforming or angry.

This was his bond for her rising and trying to call her to him, and it was working.

To his complete surprise, pleasure, and amazement her tongue darted out to taste the pheromones on his skin.

" _Shit."_ He breathed raggedly. His entire body reacted to the caress. There was no _way_ she could know what she had done but his body didn't differentiate between her innocent exploring and an inuyoukai's gesture of submission and affection.

She jerked back at his curse.

"I'm sorry, I didn't-I couldn't hel-"

He cut her off with a finger on her slightly damp lips. He was breathing heavily as he resisted the instinct to take control and Mark her as his which she has essentially 'asked' him to do by licking him like that.

"You did nothing _wrong,_ Rin. The bond is strong indeed to so affect a human. Had I known it would affect you even as a human I would have explained first." He gritted.

"Explained what?"

"What you smelled was the bond, or rather my physical reaction to being near the one I'm bonded to. Your response was normal, for a Inuyoukai who's accepted the bond that is. I do not know why you were compelled as if you were an Inu yourself. That- action, was a declaration that you see me as your Alpha, that you accept the bond and want me as your Mate, which you couldn't possibly have known."

Her hands reached up to cup his and pulled it down to rest over her heart.

"I _do_ though. I've always seen you as my Alpha, I absolutely accept the bond, and I want nothing more than for you to take me as your mate. I don't know how I knew to do that but I won't take it back. Ouch!" She reflexively slapped the side of her neck and Sesshōmaru's vision flashed red with fury.

His mate had cried out in pain while cradled in his protective embrace.

Very little was likely to enrage him more.

"Oh it's just Lord Myōga!"

She giggled, clearly oblivious to his ire.

Myōga however, with his sixth sense for danger, darted away from his Mate and took up a submissive position in the grass.

"Forgive me my Lord but I overheard and I was curious if the girl was in fact human. As you said, only an Inuyoukai would have been compelled to respond in such a way!"

Sesshōmaru's eyes widened. Myōga was right, no matter how strong the bond, no mere human would have responded that way.

He collected himself and addressed the flea calmly, though inside he was anything but.

"And what have you discovered from this violation Myōga?"

"Apologies my Lord, but it would seem she is in fact an Inuhanyou. As she appears young and seems unaware of her true nature I would assume I'm sensing her first estr-"

"Enough!" He commanded and the obnoxious flea fell silent.

He was more than capable of drawing the conclusions that Myōga had come to himself. Rin looked stunned and he was worried about her coloring.

She needed food and he needed time to think, and he needed to talk to his brother! How the hell had neither of them noticed she was a hanyou? An _Inuhanyou_ at that!

The first time he had smelled her blood he _had_ caught the scent of canine but he had assumed it was from the wolves. Her youki must be incredibly weak for him to not have sensed it by now.

He closed his eyes and reached out to her with his youki expecting to find only a weak aura of power, but the instant his youki came near her, her own power flared up and caressed his as surely as a hand grasping his own.

They both gasped and she clutched the front of his kimono as her back arched involuntarily. He pulled back and they were both breathing hard.

' _Not a human. Not a human but a hanyou?'_ How was it possible that he had never noticed before?

Well he knew the answer to that, he had met her in a human village, and been to weak to sense anything.

She had offered him human food, and then she had been killed by those wolves. He had assumed the scent of canine in her blood was from the wolves, and thought nothing of it. As for anyone who came in contact with her that might have sensed it, they probably assumed that any scent or aura of dog on her was from him.

She wasn't weak, as he had first assumed, far from it.

The demon blood was dominant with in her, but it was soft and reserved just like she was.

As for the blood not taking over her spirit, save for the time with the wolves, it had never felt threatened enough to respond, knowing her Mate would protect her.

Looking back on it this was no surprise at all.

Turning back to the still prone flea trembling in fear he asked,

"What brings you here in the first place Myōga?"

Myōga seemed relieved to be asked a question he could answer.

"There's been a change in Tetsusaiga, I was on my way to check on Inuyasha at Tōtōsai's request my Lord."

This didn't surprise Sesshōmaru, Inuyasha's mate had not only returned but was fully bonded with him and in her fertile time. The sword was doubtlessly responding to its master's surge of protectiveness.

"If the old geezer wanted to check on me Myōga-jiji, why didn't he just come see me himself? Not that I'm complaining, I was gonna hafta come find you soon anyway."

Sesshōmaru looked over to see Inuyasha and his Mate coming out of the forest.

"Inuyasha-sama!"

Myōga attempted to leap on to Inuyasha's cheek for a sip of blood but Inuyasha caught him in mid air. "It's wonderful to see you my Lord!"

"Myōga-jiji! What are you doing here?" Kagome said coming up behind Inuyasha to greet the elderly flea.

Myōga looked up at Inuyasha's Mate and fell backwards in shock.

"Kagome-sama? Is that really you?" He looked to Inuyasha for confirmation and got a cocky smirk in return.

"It would seem there is much to discuss my Lords" Myōga said carefully.

The brothers nodded and it was Inuyasha who led the way back to the village for breakfast and a place to talk.

 _ **Welcome back to MFE my dear readers! Wow This chapter is my longest in honor of our one year anniversary! It was the hardest so far but an absolute blast to write! Yes Rin is a hanyou and we will be learning more about her past in future chapters! I hope you all enjoyed and a special thanks to those of you who left a review! Your support means a lot to me and keeps this story going strong! R &R if you like! Happy holidays y'all!**_


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